The collegium system must be reformed to mandatorily include legal academics as eligible candidates for appointment as Supreme Court judges.
Aaj hum ek bahut hi mahatvapurn constitutional sawaal par vichar karenge — kya Supreme Court ke judges ki niyukti sirf legal academia se honi chahiye? Yeh motion humari judiciary ki diversity, merit, aur practical wisdom ko seedha chunauti deti hai — toh aiye, dono pakshon ko sunne ke baad ek samajhdari bhari raay banate hain. Counsel Aarav, please aap apna paksh rakhein.
My lord, main yeh establish karna chahta hoon ki Supreme Court judges ki appointment mein legal academia ka role sirf desirable nahi — balki constitutionally sound aur institutionally zaroori hai. NALSAR University Act, 1998 ki Section 21, jo Selection Committees ka provision karti hai, yeh siddh karti hai ki hamare legislative framework ne khud academic rigor aur systematic selection ko judicial-legal domain mein manya rakha hai — to phir highest court ke liye yeh standard kyun chhoda jaaye? My lord, jo log decades tak jurisprudence padhate hain, constitutional theory likhte hain, aur law ko usski gehraai mein samajhte hain — woh bench par aakar law ko sirf apply nahi karte, balki usse evolve karte hain.
Ref: National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University Act, 1998. · Section 21
My lord, paksh ki yeh soch ki legal academia se aane waale judges zyada capable honge — yeh ek romantic idea hai, haqeeqat nahi. Supreme Court ka kaam sirf theory padhna nahi, balki zinda insaanon ki zindagi, azaadi aur nyaya ke sawaalon par faisla karna hai — aur is kaam ke liye courtroom ka anubhav aur practical legal reasoning ki zaroorat hoti hai, jo academia mein milna bahut mushkil hai. Isliye main poori tarah se is motion ke vipaksh mein hoon aur kehna chahti hoon ki yeh mandatory appointment model na sirf unconstitutional hoga, balki judiciary ki effectiveness ke liye bhi ghaatak saabit hoga.
My lord, vipaksh ka kehna hai ki existing collegiate system kaafi hai — lekin main yeh poochna chahta hoon ki kya ek aisa system, jo sirf litigation-track practitioners ko hi Supreme Court tak pahucha sakta hai, sach mein poora legal spectrum cover karta hai? NALSAR University Act, 1998 ki Section 21 dekhen — usme bhi Selection Committees ka structure prescribed hai jo merit-based, structured evaluation ensure karta hai; yahi principle judicial appointments mein bhi aana chahiye. Jab ek academic — jo constitutional theory, comparative jurisprudence, aur legislative drafting mein decades ka anubhav rakhta ho — ko sirf isliye exclude kar diya jaaye kyunki usne courtroom mein bahas nahi ki, to yeh 'best available legal mind' ka sidhant tod deta hai, aur main maanta hoon ki isi gap ko bharne ke liye yeh motion zaruri hai.
Ref: National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University Act, 1998. · Section 21
My lord, paksh ne jo dalil di hai woh ek selective reading hai — Article 39A ka asli mandate yeh hai ki legal system justice promote kare on equal opportunity, aur agar hum judges sirf academia se chunenge, toh courtroom ka woh ground-level understanding — bail matters, criminal trials, marginalized litigants ki asli pareshaniyan — bilkul absent ho jaayegi, jo is very Article ki spirit ke khilaf hai. Aur NALSAR Act ki Selection Committee provisions — Sections 21 aur 24 — yeh academic institutions ke internal appointments ke liye hain, Supreme Court ke constitutional appointment process ke liye nahi; yeh authorities is motion par directly applicable hi nahi hain, toh inhe collar grabbing ki tarah use karna dalil nahi, distraction hai. Vipaksh ka stand clear hai: judicial diversity — academia, bar, aur trial courts — in teeno ka samaavesh hi ek strong apex court banata hai, sirf ek source nahi.
Ref: Constitution of India · Article 39A; National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University Act, 1998. · Section 21; National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University Act, 1998. · Section 24
Theek hai, ab hum is debate ka samaapon karte hain. Petitioner-side ka kehna tha ki legal academia se niyukti Supreme Court mein scholarly depth aur constitutional vision laayegi, jabki respondent-side ka tark tha ki courtroom ka practical anubhav aur diverse professional background hi judicial excellence ki asli neenv hai. Meri balanced legal suggestion yeh hai ki ek mixed eligibility framework hona chahiye — jisme senior advocates ke saath saath distinguished legal academics bhi, ek transparent Selection Committee ke zariye, vicharaara ke liye eligible hon, taaki Article 39A ki bhavna ke anusaar justice sabke liye samaan roop se accessible aur well-informed rahe; citizens se nivedan hai ki is motion ko apne according rate karen aur apni raay zaahir karen.
Ref: Constitution of India · Article 39A