New Delhi, Nov. 22 -- The Supreme Court on Friday sought the response of the Centre and Bar Council of India (BCI) on a petition filed by a women lawyers' body challenging a Bombay high court decision which held that women advocates cannot approach state bar councils with sexual harassment complaints as there exists no "employer-employee" relationship between them 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 Bombay high court's July 7 ruling. 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, argued by senior...