CHENNAI: DMK Rajya Sabha member P Wilson on Friday introduced a private member Bill seeking constitutional amendments to ensure reservation and social diversity in judicial appointments, contending that the higher judiciary does not adequately reflect India’s social composition.
The proposed legislation, titled the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to mandate proportionate representation for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), religious minorities and women in the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and high courts.
The Bill further proposes amendments to Articles 124, 217 and 224 of the Constitution, linking judicial representation to population data derived from a caste census.
The Bill argues that a representative judiciary is crucial to enhancing public confidence and improving the quality of judicial decision-making. It flags the existing collegium system as an opaque process that has resulted in continued exclusion of marginalised communities.
Furthermore, the Bill calls for a structured Memorandum of Procedure for judicial appointments, to be framed by the centre in consultation with the Chief Justice of India and state governments, with fixed timelines for clearing or returning the recommendations.
The proposed amendments also include the establishment of four permanent regional benches of the Supreme Court in Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi, with the Constitution Bench confined to hearing matters of constitutional importance.