Historic first for Indian judiciary; four women to head High Courts simultaneously

NEW DELHI: In a historic milestone for the Indian judiciary, four High Courts across the country are now simultaneously headed by women Chief Justices for the very first time. This landmark achievement was unlocked following the appointment of Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.

With this latest elevation, Justice Rai joins three other distinguished women jurists currently leading state judiciaries. The cohort includes:

• Justice Sunita Agarwal, serving as the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court.
• Justice Revati Mohite Dere, presiding over the Meghalaya High Court.
• Justice Lisa Gill, leading the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

While India came close to a similar milestone in 2018 when four women held top positions in various High Courts, one of them was serving in an acting capacity. The current appointments mark the first time that all four positions are held by permanent, full-time Chief Justices, representing a significant step forward for gender representation in the upper echelons of the nation's judiciary.