On Friday (November 21, 2025), the Supreme Court asked the Central government
and the Bar Council of India (BCI) to reply to a petition that challenges a
recent ruling by the Bombay High Court.
The High Court had said that the POSH Act (Prevention of Sexual Harassment a
Workplace Act) does not apply to complaints made by one advocate against
another before bar councils. This means lawyers cannot use the POSH Act to
file sexual harassment complaints in bar council proceedings.
A bench of Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan sent notices to
the Centre and the BCI, asking them to explain their position on the issue.
The Supreme Court also said that this case will be considered along with
another similar petition already before the court.
The petitioners say that advocates should also be protected under the POSH
Act when they face sexual harassment in their professional workspaces, including
during bar council matters.
The Court will now wait for the responses before deciding what to do next.