Historic First: Four Women Serving Simultaneously as Regular Chief Justices of Indian High Courts

June 5, 2026 : In a landmark moment for the Indian judiciary, four women are currently serving simultaneously as regular Chief Justices of High Courts across the country, marking a significant milestone in the journey towards greater gender representation in judicial leadership.

The development follows the appointment of Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court. With her elevation, four High Courts are now headed by women Chief Justices at the same time. The other women currently leading High Courts are Justice Sunita Agarwal of the Gujarat High Court, Justice Revati Mohite Dere of the Meghalaya High Court, and Justice Lisa Gill of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Justice Sunita Agarwal, who was elevated from the Allahabad High Court, has been serving as Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court since July 23, 2023. Justice Revati Mohite Dere, formerly a judge of the Bombay High Court, assumed office as Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court on January 10, 2026. Justice Lisa Gill, elevated from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, took oath as Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on April 25, 2026.

The simultaneous presence of four women as regular Chief Justices highlights a gradual but notable shift towards greater inclusivity in India’s constitutional courts. Gender diversity in the higher judiciary has long been a subject of discussion in debates surrounding judicial appointments and institutional representation.

According to data presented by the Union Government in Parliament earlier this year, women constituted 116 of the 781 serving High Court judges as of February 2026, accounting for approximately 14.85 percent of the total working strength.

While India has previously seen four women heading High Courts at the same time, this is the first occasion on which all four are serving as regular Chief Justices. In 2018, one of the four women leading High Courts, Justice Nishita Nirmal Mhatre, was serving as Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. The other three were Justice Indira Banerjee at the Madras High Court, Justice Manjula Chellur at the Bombay High Court, and Justice G. Rohini at the Delhi High Court.

Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai’s appointment has therefore created a new chapter in the history of the Indian judiciary, reflecting the steady, though still limited, rise of women in the highest ranks of judicial administration and leadership.