SC Directs Madras HC To Look Into Lack Of Toilet Facilities For Women Lawyers

On Friday, the Supreme Court directed the Madras High Court to give a detailed report on the steps taken to address the lack of toilets for women lawyers at the Nilgiris Court Complex in Ooty.

The court further explained that the earlier report filed by the registrar general doesn’t explain in detail the facilities for women lawyers in the new court complex. It also didn’t clearly mention whether there was any shrinkage of such facilities that were earlier available.

Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal of a vacation bench ordered the registrar general to file a report by Sunday.

Lack Of Toilet For Women Lawyers

The bench stated that the Madras High Court is expected to file a detailed report through the registrar general. It further insisted that the electronic mode of the report should reach the registry of the Supreme Court by Sunday, and the matter would be heard on Monday, June 12.

The top court observed this while hearing a plea by a women's lawyer’s association in Nilgris claiming that they lack toilet facilities at the recently inaugurated combined court complex in Ooty.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson, Rekha Sharma, sent a written letter to the Registrar General of the Madras High Court on June 7, seeking steps to address the lack of toilet facilities for women lawyers in the Nilgiris Court Complex.

The NCW chief noted in the letter that the court complex, which opened in 2022, boasts several amenities, but there is no designated women's toilet. The registrar was asked to communicate the measures taken within three days.

The letter shared how women lawyers were left in an "undignified and uncomfortable" position while performing their professional duties. In addition, it stated that women lawyers in Nilgiris have been demanding toilet facilities for 25 years. However, the demand for a basic requirement hasn’t been fulfilled, leading to a violation of their rights and also hindering them from performing their professional responsibilities.

NCW also emphasised that creating proper toilet facilities for women lawyers was not only a matter of gender equality but also significant in creating an inclusive work environment. The NCW stresses the need to provide separate and functional toilet facilities for all legal professionals.

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