Men corner 70% of arbitrator appts by SC, 2 HCs: Study
Hyderabad: Men accounted for seven out of every 10 arbitrator appointments made by the Supreme Court and the Delhi and Bombay high courts in 2025, according to a recent study by NALSAR University of Law. Of the 2,283 appointments for which gender information was recorded, 1,598, or 70.03%, went to men, while women accounted for just 685 appointments, or 29.97%, the study found. The study covered 3,688 unique cases, including 65 from the Supreme Court. Around 1.16 lakh candidates cleared the All India Bar Examination (AIBE XXI) in 2026, of whom 42,757, or approximately 37%, were women, according to the data cited. They account for around 37% of judges in district courts, approximately 15% in high courts and about 5% in the Supreme Court, according to the data.
Because a substantial proportion of cases filed under Section 11 ultimately results in an arbitrator being appointed, the NALSAR study noted, the appointment of arbitrators assumes significance.
Chand Chopra, advocate and associate director (research) at the Milon K Banerji Centre for Arbitration Law, said the figures on arbitrator appointments must be viewed in the context of women’s representation in the legal profession and the judiciary. The Milon K Banerji Centre for Arbitration Law, which conducted the research, is chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman. Senior advocate Ritin Rai serves as its co-chair, while advocate Amit George is the director (research). it does not examine whether the figures reflect the gender composition of the pool of eligible arbitrators While the study highlights the gender distribution among arbitrators appointed by the three courts. Data from the Bar Council of India, however, offers some insight into women’s representation in the legal profession and the judiciary. Women’s representation in the judiciary also declines sharply at higher levels.