Legal Career of Leila Seth
Early Days of Legal Journey at Patna
Leila began to practice law in Patna after moving back to India, which was immediately after she joined the London Bar. At Patna, Leila Seth handled a variety of cases, ranging from matters relating to different taxes (Income Tax, Sales Tax, Excise and Customs tax), to Company Law, Constitutional Law, Civil, Criminal cases. She also handled matrimonial suits and public interest litigations.
Leila in the later stages of her career talked about how she faced sexism , skepticism and gender bias while pursuing law at Patna, because it was a male dominated profession. Not many women were in the profession of law, and Leila later said she used to get less work because people thought women lawyers weren’t as capable as men; Despite facing many hurdles, Leila worked at the Patna High Court for 10 years.
Work at Delhi High Court
It was her dedicated work at Delhi High Court that put Leila on a spotlight. Here she worked on original civil petitions, criminal matters, company petitions, revisions and appeals. In the same year she moved to Delhi, Leila took her first step towards a career at the Supreme Court by handling tax matters, writ petitions and constitutional civil and criminal appeals. Leila broke yet another gender barrier in the Indian Judiciary when she was appointed as the first woman judge in 1978. This achievement was a significant step in her own legal career as well a symbol of hope for other women aspiring to practice law.
From Judge to Chief Justice
Leila once again reserved a spot for herself in the history of Indian judiciary, when after 13 years of being a High Court Judge she became first woman to take the position of Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 1991. This commendable feat was achieved by Leila through meticulous work she did all these years practicing law and never giving up on her passion despite all obstacles.
Brief Overview of Leila Seth’s Other Works
Leila’s exemplary work went beyond the courtroom doors as she chaired various judicial and humanitarian institutions. She undertook many issues regarding empowerment of women, one of the examples being her in charge the campaign to give daughters inheritance rights over ancestral property in the Hindu Succession Act (1956) as a member of the 15th Law Commission of India from 1997-2000.
Leila Seth was a part of many enquiry commissions, investigating issues like custodial deaths, the effect of media on children; Other than this Justice Seth also served as the Chair of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) for several years. She also advocated for LGBTQIA rights, thereby displaying her unwavering sense of responsibility towards people from all walks of life, and reflected her supreme sense of justice.
First Woman Chief Justice of High Court in India
Justice Leila Seth was the first woman Chief Justice of a High Court; She became the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court in 1991 and she was also the first woman judge of the Delhi High Court. Justice Leila Seth’s career trajectory has truly been one of the most iconic, which many have tried to emulate. She was truly the most powerful representation of determination and grace in the early 20th century for Indian women.
In this article, we will look into the details of the First Woman Chief Justice of the High Court – Leila Seth.
Let’s start.
First Woman Chief Justice of High Court in India