DMK MP Wilson’s Bill revives debate on reservation in appointments in higher judiciary

Sun Feb 16 08:26:56 UTC 2025: ## DMK MP Revives Debate on Judicial Reservation with New Bill

**Chennai, February 16, 2025** – A new bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha by DMK MP P. Wilson has reignited the debate surrounding reservations in the appointment of Supreme Court and High Court judges. The Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 2024 seeks to amend the Constitution to ensure proportional representation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, women, and religious minorities in judicial appointments.

The bill proposes establishing a Memorandum of Procedure for Supreme Court appointments, setting timelines and procedures, including consultation with the Chief Justice of India. It also advocates for consultation with state governments on High Court appointments.

Wilson argues that a diverse judiciary, reflecting India’s social composition, is crucial for public trust and fair judgments. He cites statistics revealing a significant disparity in the representation of different social groups among judges appointed since 2018, with the general category overwhelmingly dominating. While the Centre has previously acknowledged the need for greater diversity, it has consistently rejected the idea of mandated reservations.

The bill’s introduction follows previous attempts to address this issue. In 2020, then-Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad stated that while the Constitution doesn’t mandate reservations based on caste, class, or gender, the government was committed to considering candidates from under-represented groups. A Parliamentary Standing Committee report in 2019 also highlighted the underrepresentation of women judges, recommending measures to increase their numbers.

The debate over the bill underscores the ongoing tension between the principles of meritocracy and the need for representative justice in India’s judicial system. The bill’s success hinges on whether it can garner sufficient support in Parliament to overcome past objections to constitutionally mandated reservations in judicial appointments.

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