NEW DELHI, Jan. 9 -- The Supreme Court (SC) will be celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2020. It is a good time for our judiciary to consider diversifying the institution. While there has been a well argued case for a stronger representation of women in the higher judiciary, there have been fewer arguments made in relation to the inclusion of academics in the higher judiciary.
There are four reasons that justify the appointment of outstanding academic scholars as judges of high courts and the SC . These are: promoting institutional diversity; developing theoretical foundations of law; comparative judicial practices; and interdisciplinary approaches in law and justice. Even the constitutional provision that provides the constitutional basis...