Cornelia Sorabji born in 1866, was the first Indian Woman barrister. She was the first woman graduate from Bombay University and the first woman in the world to study law at Oxford. But the irony is that, she was not recognized as a barrister till 1921, as Indian law barred women from practicing at courts. On 24.8.1921, Miss.Cornelia Sorabji was enrolled as a vakil of the Allahabad High Court. This was done by a decision of the English meeting of the Court consisting of the Chief Justice Sir.Grimwood Mears and other Member Judges present in Allahabad under Rule 15 of Chapter XV of the Allahabad High Court Rules. However even after 1924, due to gender discrimination, she was confined to preparing opinions on cases, rather pleading them before the courts.

M/s.Regina Guha obtained the Bachelor Degree in Law from the University of Calcutta in the year 1916. Desiring to be admitted to practice as a Pleader in the District of 24-Perganas, she paid into the Government Treasury of the said District the fee prescribed by Rules 27 of the Rules framed by the Hon’ble High Court of Calcutta under the Legal Practitioners Act. She also presented her diploma, the receipt for the said fee and a stamp paper of necessary value of her first certificate to practice before the learned District Judge of 21-Perganas. The learned District Judge forwarded the said application by a memorandum on 3.4.1916 to the Hon’ble High Court of Calcutta for orders as to her enrollment. On 16.6.1916, she received a memorandum dated 15.6.1916 from the Registrar of the Hon’ble High Court at Calcutta through the learned District Judge refusing her enrolment. Thereafter M/s.Regina Guha moved before the Calcutta High Court to graciously order her to be enrolled. On 19.8.1916, the Calcutta High Court by it’s four Bench verdict consisting of Justice L.Sanderson, Justice Mookerjee, Justice W.Chitty, Justice Teunon Chowdhury confirmed that “A WOMAN CANNOT BE ENROLLED AS A PLEADER.”

On 28 November 1921, Miss. Sudhansu Bala Hazra filed a case before the Patna High Court for enrollment as a pleader in the District Court of Patna. In a three Bench judgment of the Patna High Court with Justice.Dawson Miller, Justice B.Mullick and Justice Jwala Prasad, in the words of Justice Jwala Prasad, it was held “A recent instance has been brought to our notice where a lady Miss.Sorobjee has been enrolled as a vakil of the Allahabad High Court…… In matters of practice, however, we generally follow the traditions of Calcutta High Court and we do not think we can deviate from the decision of that court passed on the 19th of August 1916 in Rejina Guha’s case only a few months after the creation of our High Court…..” On 28th November, 1922, Miss Hazra was granted Special Leave to Appeal by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council against the aforesaid judgment of Patna High Court, upon depositing £ 400 as security for costs. This sum of £ 400 amounting nearly Rs.6000/- was beyond the means of costs.

On 28th February 1923, a bill was introduced in the assembly of North-West Frontier Province to amend the Legal Practitioner’s Act, 1879. A big majority supported the bill and prevailed upon the Assembly to pass The Legal Practitioner’s (Women) Act, XXIII of 1923, by which women were allowed to practice as Lawyers
Our Rich Tributes to Advocate. Smt.Cornelia Sorabji Advocate.Regina Guha, Advocate Sudhansu Bala Hazra with gratitude and great respect for their commitment to fight for their fundamental right of employment on behalf of themselves and the entire female community of future in India. We once again bow before these pioneers of Legal Profession.

Our rich tributes to one of the foremost Senior Counsels of Legal Profession in India, Shri.Nani A.Palkhivala for his distinguished contribution in strengthening our constitution and for his out rightness.
“The survival of our democracy and unity and integrity of the Nation depend upon the realization that constitutional morality is no less essential than constitutional legality. Dharma lives in the hearts of public men, when it dies there, no Constitution, no law, no amendment can save it”
-Privy Purse Case (1971) SCC 85- Nani A.Palkhivala.

Our rich tributes to M/s.Indira Jaisingh, the first female Additional Solicitor General of India. She is the mother of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. We bow before her for her laudable contribution in consistently working towards convincing the law makers of our land that Domestic Violence is one of the major issues hitting the lives of women cutting across caste, creed, religion and economy. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 has opened new avenues for getting various remedies which couldn’t be achieved by the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 and other pro-women Acts.
“When I started my career, I was clear about making law useful for sections of society which are dispossessed. The moment you have the focus, everything falls in place. Today, if I represent the cause of the dispossessed such as homeless, women, bonded labour, it is because they have no stake in the system, because the system offers them nothing and they have to fight and struggle every inch of the way. This is where my attitude comes from”
M/s.Indira Jaisingh.
First Female Additional Solicitor General of India.