India, Nov. 21 -- The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and the Bar Council of India (BCI) on a petition filed by a women lawyers' association challenging a Bombay high court ruling that bars women advocates from approaching state bar councils with sexual-harassment complaints, on the ground that no "employer-employee relationship" exists between lawyers and the councils.

A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan issued notice on the appeal filed by the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association (SCWLA) against the decision of the Bombay HC on July 7. The petition had also included the Maharashtra government and the State Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa who were parties before the high court.

The petition, a...