Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum’s Indelible Mark on 2020

Small initiatives by the Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum like setting up what they called the Virtual Canteen, emerged as a great support system to help women in the legal profession, says MEGHA KATHERIA.

——

In a year when the country grappled with the lockdown and assault on rights by the state, the Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum rose to help its fellow lawyers and citizens.

With its initiative creatively named Virtual Canteen, it reignited the camaraderie that formed the bedrock of the support system in the working lives of many legal professionals. Advocate Suruchi Suri told The Leaflet, "Everyone misses the bonhomie of a canteen which is a big part of litigating life. We congregated there, we kept a watch on the board and took advice for both personal and professional matters. It is not just about a samosa, but it is bonding over tea or coffee and sharing your lunch."

In doing so, the Forum's first webinar sought to tackle the issue of mental health during days of widespread gloom and anxiety due to the pandemic and its resultant lockdown.

"Earlier we would have spoken about women representation, but with lockdown, we are more focussed on issues that working professionals are facing while they work from home. Other than emotional support, we are dealing with real issues of women lawyers being kept back in the fold rather than being consumed by family demands. It is always a challenge for women where they fall off the radar and this pandemic is the perfect opportunity where women can easily fall off the radar," says Suri.

True to this call, the Forum lined up a series of webinars by leading legal professionals to inspire the young generation of lawyers in pursuit of justice in the noble profession.

"Our desire for justice as lawyers gets lost in the rat race because of despondency among the young and cynicism of seniors. Let's not forget why we are here. Let us evaluate ourselves based on what we have done for justice," Advocate Nandita Rao told The Leaflet.

Rao added, "Feminism challenges hierarchies and seeks equality and compassion. As feminists, we must define success differently."

Highlighting the glass ceiling faced by women advocates, Advocate Suneita Ojha  told The Leaflet, "We are not saying that women need special treatment. It is just about enabling infrastructure like creches. The bar has never seen this as an important issue even though most women disappear. The glass ceiling is somewhere in between and not on the top."

Perhaps the biggest proof of its undeniable impact is the cyber attack marched by trolls during its webinar on 'feminist lawyering'.

Marching on undeterred by the trolls, Advocate Miriam Fozia Rahman had said, "I sincerely believe we have a stronger reason to talk about feminist lawyering today and we have a stronger reason to do many more webinars through this wonderful platform."

At the webinar, Senior Advocate Indira Jaising, had lauded the forum saying, "There is an obvious and conscious effort being made by people to sabotage this webinar and it should be taken as a compliment and as a sign that we matter."

The forum has time and again put into practice what it preaches."As citizens and law officers we believe that the state machinery should be much more efficient, strategic and humane, than the image which has sadly emerged now," said the forum.

Shocked by the state's complicity in the gruesome Hathras case, the forum wrote to the Chief Justice of India demanding immediate action against the state officials and constitution of a Special Investigation Team.

The letter said after people would not feel like coming forward to report incidents when they see situations like being denied even to conduct the last rites of a family member.

The lawyers filed an intervention application in the Supreme Court in the case filed by Satyama Dubey on Hathras.

Assisted by Advocate Nandita Rao, Senior Advocate Indira Jaising appearing for the forum requested the court to provide CRPF protection to the victim's family and witnesses in the case. Arguing that even the High Court could look into the matter, they urged that the court could transfer the trial from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi and institute a court-monitored probe into the case.

On October 27, the Supreme Court directed CRPF protection for the victim's family and witnesses. It also entrusted the Allahabad High Court with all the aspects of the case, including monitoring the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. It is under this investigation that the CBI has filed a charge sheet confirming the victims of rape, contradictory to what the state government had claimed as a conspiracy to malign the state.

Keeping steadfast on its motto, the forum stepped up again by expressing its solidarity with the farmers protesting against the farm laws passed by the parliament earlier this year. On December 23, the forum spearheaded a group of lawyers who fasted the whole day in solidarity with the farmers.

"I have only two words: 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'. This is the foundation of our country and shaking the foundation for quick profits for some will affect our food security and long-term development. We will all pay the price if we don't stand with the farmers," Advocate Nandita Rao said.

As the year ends, The Leaflet applauds the stellar work of the Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum and hopes that it will continue to inspire us, along with the young generation of lawyers, in the years to come.

(Megha Katheria is a sub-editor with The Leaflet.)