4 min readNew DelhiMar 9, 2026 01:38 AM IST Greater representation of women in the judiciary is not about preference but about ensuring equal opportunity and a fair starting line in the legal profession, Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, said on Sunday. Speaking at the national conference “Bridging the Bench Gap: Women and Judicial Leadership”, Justice Kant said, “When half of India’s population looks to institutions entrusted with safeguarding constitutional rights and finds only limited reflection of its own experience, the concern transcends statistics.” Justice system must inspire confidence among “approximately 650 million Indian mothers, sisters and daughters”, he added. The conference was organised by Indian Women in Law (iWiL) at the Supreme Court’s Additional Building Complex auditorium in New Delhi. Justice Kant said the Constitution, the oath and the office remain the same for every judge. “What changes are the new experiences that inform judicial perspective. Women often bring distinct insights shaped by how law operates in homes, workplaces and everyday realities,” he said. Justice Kant also called on High Court collegiums …