Follow Us;Resize=(820,462) "SN MOTHER children parenting")
A woman Additional District Judge from Jharkhand has approached the Supreme Court, challenging her High Court's denial of child care leave from June to December. The bench led by CJI Gavai will hear the case next week.
Single mother judge moves Supreme Court after denial of child care leave by Jharkhand High Court
A woman Additional District Judge from Jharkhand has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the rejection of her request for child care leave by the Jharkhand High Court. She cited her role as a single parent and her recent transfer as reasons for seeking leave from June to December.
The matter was mentioned on Monday before a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih. After hearing the counsel's request for urgent listing, the CJI directed, “List on Monday.”
Related Articles
According to a report by Live Law, the judge’s counsel told the bench that her application for child care leave had been denied without any stated reason. “She is a single parent, my lords. She had sought child care leave from June 10 to December due to her transfer to another place,” the lawyer submitted.
Upon being asked by the Chief Justice why the leave was rejected, the counsel replied, “No reason, my lords.” The bench was also informed that her parent High Court is the Jharkhand High Court.
CJI Gavai took note of the urgency and directed that the petition be listed next week for hearing.
The plea raises important concerns around work-life balance, judicial accountability, and the rights of working mothers, especially those in public service, when it comes to caregiving responsibilities.
This is not the first time the judiciary has had to examine issues related to leave policies for judicial officers. The outcome of this case could set a precedent on how family-related leave requests are handled within the judicial system.
