Justice Leila Seth, First Female Chief Justice Of A State High Court

Justice Leila Seth was the first woman judge on the Delhi High Court and the first woman to become Chief Justice of a State High Court, helming the Himachal Pradesh HC. Seth was also the first woman to be designated as a senior counsel by the Supreme Court of India. Justice Seth sat on several inquiry commissions, including one into the death of Rajan Pillai (Biscuit Baron), and was also a part of the Justice Verma Committee. This committee was established to amend India's rape laws after the 2012 Delhi gang rape case. Justice Seth served on the Law Commission of India till 2000. However, being the first is often not easy, she too faced hardships in creating this place for herself. 

When she was about to join the legal profession she was told to go and get married. When she clarified that she was already married, she was told to have children. When she clarified that she already had two kids, the person relented and said, you are a persistent woman you will do good at the bar.

A look at Leila Seth's life and how she is an inspiration to so many.

Designated Life & Career

A lawyer who would not let anyone or anything come in her way, Justice Leila Seth was a beacon of resilience and strong will. Born on 20 October 1930 in Lucknow, she was the first daughter after two sons in her family. Her father worked in the Imperial Railway Service and died when she was only 11 years old.

After her father's death, her family struggled to make ends meet, however, her mother managed to educate her in Loreto Convent, Darjeeling. After finishing her schooling, Justice Seth began to work as a stenographer in Kolkata. It was here that she met Prem Seth, with whom she later had a 'semi-arranged' marriage at the age of 20.

After their marriage, Prem Seth, who worked with a multinational footwear retailer, was transferred to London. Leila Seth got the opportunity to study law at the Lincoln's Inn. Seth, in an interview, mentioned that she picked law because it did not require attending classes, which was what she wanted as she had an infant at the time.

Notably, Justice Leila Seth is the mother of filmmaker Aradhana Seth, prominent writer Vikram Seth, and Shantum Seth, a Buddhist teacher.

In 1958, 27-year-old Leila Seth took the London Bar exam and topped it. She became the first woman to do so. She joined the bar in 1959. Soon after she aced the exam, the couple moved back to India where she began practising law in Patna. In the same year, Seth also cleared the Civil Services Examination as an Indian Administrative Services officer.

After working with the Patna High Court for over a decade, Seth moved to the Delhi High Court in 1972. In June 1974, she was also on the panel of lawyers for the West Bengal government in the Supreme Court. On 10 January 1977, she was designated as a senior advocate by the Supreme Court.

In 1978, Justice Leila Seth became a Judge of the Delhi High Court, proving all the naysayers wrong and carving a revolutionary path for aspiring women in law. Her career continued to rise as she became the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court, again the first woman to be the Chief Justice of a State High Court.

Justice Seth was a member of the 15th Law Commission of India from 1997 to 2000, during which time she oversaw the campaign to give women inheritance rights over ancestral property (Hindu Succession Act of 1956). She also served as the Chair of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) for several years.

On Facing Gender Bias 

Justice Seth has shared the journey of her life in her autobiography, On Balance. She mentioned that she was a victim of gender bias in the initial years of her service when her contributions were either not taken seriously or overlooked. She once revealed that she avoided taking 'women's cases' or divorce cases as she did not want to be tagged as a women’s lawyer. 

She mentioned that the Chief Justice she was sitting with after becoming the new judge, had a problem sitting next to a woman. Seth also said that her family used to introduce her to other people as "meet the new 'lady judge'". Seth mentioned that she did not understand why the mention of her gender was relevant while referring to her talent and hard work.

Justice Seth always voiced her opinions ardently. She shut anyone up when they treated her like she was inferior or questioned her talent and abilities. She believed in herself and was confident enough to tackle such situations. She ardently made a position and a name in the industry and is an inspiration for a lot of young women.

Justice Seth was an advocate for the rights of women, LGBTQ+, and other marginalised communities. She was vocal about supporting her son Vikram when he came out as gay and also wrote op-eds in support of LGBTQIA rights or decrying Section 377, the anti-homosexuality law which was struck down in 2019. Justice Leila Seth passed away in 2017 due to a cardio-respiratory attack.