As CJI NV Ramana Retires, Let's Look At His Landmark Feminist Judgements

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana retired on 26 August. Before retiring, he heard several important cases on 25 August, Thursday, including Bilkis Bano's plea of challenging the release of 11 convicts.

NV  Ramana made a few fine directions in terms of women during his tenure as CJI at Supreme Court (SC). The 48th CJI, who succeeded Justice SA Bobde on April 24, 2021, has been a part of 657 benches and authored 174 judgments.

Some of his directions are known to be feminist and inclusive of the LGBTQ community. Let's have a look at them.

As CJI NV Ramana Retires, looking at some of his landmark feminist Judgements

 NV  Ramana vouched for 50% representation of women in the legal education and judiciary.

Justice Ramana, while addressing women advocates of SC at a felicitation ceremony, mentioned that we need 50 % representation for women in the judiciary. The lack of representation of women in SC is due to thousands of years of oppression. Lower levels of the judiciary have less than 30% women judges. The High Court has 11.5%, and Supreme Court has only 11-12 % women. A few reasons were uncomfortable working environments and the lack of infrastructure like female washrooms and creches for working mothers. CJI has been vocal about the non-filling up of judicial vacancies. He also pointed out the lack of judicial infrastructure is responsible for the pending cases.

Value of a homemaker is the same as a person working in the office. 

N V Ramana, while hearing a case from 2014, wherein he enhanced the compensation to relatives of a couple who died when a car hit their scooter in Delhi. Justice Ramana stated that the value of a woman homemaker was worth the same as that of a husband going to the office. Further mentioned, women on average spend 16.9% and 2.6% of their day on unpaid domestic work and caregiving services for household members respectively, whereas males spend only 1.7% and 0.8% respectively.

Suggested Reading- Legal Profession Still Male-Dominated: CJI Ramana On International Day of Women Judges

Permanency of women officers in the armed forces

Justice Ramana criticised the Centre for women officers not being granted permanent commission in the armed forces. In 2018, he stated that the government should not adopt a discriminatory approach. The order directed the government to grant permanent commission to Women Short Service Commissions Officers who obtained 60% marks in their assessment subject.

Equal justice to all irrespective of gender, class, and caste. 

A conversation with an elderly lady outside court forced CJI to speak on equal justice. He pointed out that guarantee of equal justice for all is meaningless if weaker sections of society cannot access their rights. Justice Ramana recounted his tenure at Delhi High Court - how he had been approached by an elderly woman years ago, and she asked to put a cap on lawyers' fees so that the poor could afford the legal services. She questioned him if the cap is not put, then how poor people will come to the courts for justice?

Legal Awareness Campaign For Women

Justice N.V. Ramana launched a legal awareness campaign to create awareness among women about their rights and protection laws. NV Ramana launched this campaign on our 74th Independence Day with the help of the National Commission for Women (NCW) and the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). He pointed out that a lack of awareness prevents women from utilizing India's more progressive policies. | CJI N V Ramana

India gets its first Judge from the LGBTQ community 

The SC collegium led by CJI NV Ramana recommended Saurabh Kirpal as the first openly gay judge to the Delhi high court. The recommendation on Kirpal's elevation was sent to the law ministry.

Other than these directions, NV Ramana has openly criticised the government and put matters of constitutional salience on trials. He made an effort to put on hold the colonial-era penal provision of sedition, saying the court is cognizant of the integrity of the state on one hand, and the civil liberties of citizens on the other.