Supreme Court Toilet Facilities Rights Case

In 2025, Indian advocate Shikha Sharma filed a public interest litigation against the administrative body of the Supreme Court of India, highlighting the severe shortage of functional and hygienic toilet facilities for women in the court premises. The petition argued that female lawyers, litigants, and staff faced daily humiliation and health risks, compelling many to avoid using facilities or leave the court for basic needs. This directly impacted their professional dignity and equality. The Supreme Court, led by the Chief Justice and Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, heard the case, acknowledging the grievance as a fundamental issue of gender discrimination and constitutional rights, not merely an administrative oversight.

The Supreme Court bench admitted the petition and passed a series of interim orders. It directed the court's own administration to submit a detailed plan within four weeks for constructing new, hygienic toilets for women, renovating existing ones, and implementing a maintenance schedule. The court framed the issue as a constitutional violation requiring immediate judicial intervention.

The core dispute was whether the chronic lack of adequate women's toilets in the nation's highest court constituted a violation of the fundamental rights to equality, dignity, and a safe, non-discriminatory working environment under Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the Indian Constitution.

The case sparked significant public discourse on gender bias within the Indian judiciary, exposing how even top institutions neglect women's basic needs. It was widely reported in national media, drawing attention to similar issues in courts across India. The litigation was seen as a pivotal moment for judicial introspection, pressuring court administrations nationwide to audit and upgrade their sanitation infrastructure, and it empowered more professionals to speak out against institutional gender discrimination.