A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde on Thursday said the time has come for a woman Chief Justice of India, however when women lawyers are asked to come on the bench, they refuse citing family responsibilities.

The observation from the Chief Justice came during the mentioning of an application filed by the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association (SCWLA), through advocate Sneha Kalita, to consider elevating experienced women lawyers from the top court as High Court's judges, as a step to increase the number of women judges in the judiciary. SCWLA, in the application, said women's participation in the justice delivery system is an important factor for societal progress and gender equality.