Noting the lack of reservation, Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice recommended ‘adequate representation of various sections of Indian society’ in the judicial appointments at the High Courts and Supreme Court level.

The Committee, in its report, said that the representation of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), women, and minorities in the higher judiciary is far below the desired levels and does not reflect the social diversity of the country. In recent years there has been a declining trend in representation from all the marginalized sections of Indian society, the Committee said.

“Though there is no provision for reservation in the judicial appointments at High Courts and Supreme Court level, the Committee feels that adequate representation of various sections of Indian society will further strengthen the trust, credibility, and acceptability of the Judiciary among the citizens,” the Committee said in the report.

The Committee also said that “while making recommendations for appointments to the Higher Judiciary, both the Supreme Court and the High Court’s Collegiums should recommend an adequate number of women and candidates from the marginalized sections of the society including minorities.”

“This provision should be clearly mentioned in the Memoranda of Procedure (MoP), which is presently under finalization,” it added.

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice chaired by BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi presented its 133rd report on the subject “Judicial Processes and their reform” to both the Houses of Parliament on Monday.