‘Highly offensive’: Senior advocate slams placement of men's toilet midway along Supreme Court corridor

Senior advocate and renowned human rights lawyer Indira Jaising has triggered a debate on social media by questioning the central placement of the men’s toilet within the premises of the Supreme Court of India. She described its location in the court corridor as “highly offensive to women” and urged the Chief Justice of India to take note.

Jaising believes the current positioning of the men’s toilet - reportedly located midway along a main corridor - reflects a relic of a time when the legal profession was overwhelmingly male-dominated.

“Oh my God! When will the men’s toilet be shifted from the centre of the corridor to the end of the corridors of the Supreme Court? Highly offensive to women. The Chief Justice of India to note,” Jaising wrote, sharing a picture of herself.

The image shows her standing in front of a sign that reads "Gents Toilet for Advocates Only", which appears to be located within the premises of the Supreme Court of India. She is dressed in a traditional white saree with a black waistcoat - typical courtroom attire for Indian lawyers - and is seen leaning against the wall with her hand on her forehead, seemingly expressing frustration.

Her post has garnered a multitude of responses. Here are some of the reactions: “Completely agree except the offensive part. It is awkward for every gender, including men. But not offensive.”

To this, the senior advocate replied,

“You may be right, but its location suggests it belongs to a time when women were not lawyers in large numbers. Times have changed, and so must the architecture.”

Another user questioned:

“Apart from everything, how is it offensive to women?”

The advocate responded with a pointed remark:

“It is offensive in a hugely public space. The toilet needs to be shifted to the end of the corridor.”

A third user wrote:

“Best thing I saw today.”