Wed Sep 24 15:12:24 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) is calling for urgent reform of the Collegium system for judicial appointments in India, citing its failure to ensure diversity and transparency. The SCBA has written to the Chief Justice of India and the Law Minister, urging the finalization of the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for judge appointments, which has been stalled since 2015. The association criticizes the underrepresentation of women and marginalized groups in the judiciary, attributing it to the Collegium’s “structural flaws.” The SCBA proposes the establishment of permanent secretariats in High Courts and the Supreme Court for data management, a complaints mechanism, and codified eligibility criteria for judicial appointments. This marks a significant shift as the SCBA, which previously supported the Collegium, now advocates for its reform.

**News Article:**

**SCBA Demands Overhaul of Judge Appointment System, Cites Lack of Diversity**

*NEW DELHI, September 24, 2025* – The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has launched a scathing critique of the Collegium system for judicial appointments, demanding immediate and comprehensive reforms to address the chronic underrepresentation of women and marginalized communities in India’s constitutional courts. In a letter addressed to Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, the SCBA urges the swift finalization of the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for judge appointments, a process mired in deadlock since the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) law was struck down a decade ago.

The SCBA, headed by President Vikas Singh, argues that the Collegium’s opaque processes have perpetuated a system of “informal networks and patronage,” resulting in a judiciary that does not reflect the diversity of the nation. Citing statistics that show women comprising only 9.5% of the sanctioned strength in High Courts and a mere 2.94% in the Supreme Court as of February 2024, the SCBA contends that the current system is inherently exclusionary.

“The tyranny of a presumed meritocracy masks a deeper reliance on informal networks and patronage,” the letter stated.

The association proposes several key reforms to the MoP, including the establishment of permanent secretariats in every High Court and in the Supreme Court to maintain data on candidates and vacancies, ensuring institutional memory. It also recommends the setting up of a robust complaints’ mechanism to address grievances, and verifiable and objective eligibility criteria, which have to be codified and published, to guide the judicial appointments.

This call for reform marks a significant shift for the SCBA, which previously championed the Collegium system during the legal challenge to the NJAC. Now, the lawyers’ body is highlighting the urgent need for greater transparency and accountability in the selection process. The move comes amid recent controversies involving High Court judges, raising concerns about the integrity of the judiciary. The Hindu was unable to receive a response from the Chief Justice’s office at the time of publication.

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