'Only 15% judges appointed to HCs from backward communities in last 5 yrs'

New Delhi: A little over 15 per cent of the judges appointed to high courts in the last five years were from backward communities, the Department of Justice has told a parliamentary panel, while pointing out that even after three decades of the judiciary assuming primacy in judges' appointment, it has not become inclusive and socially diverse.

Underlining that the initiation of proposals for the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court and high courts is vested with the collegium, the department said therefore, the primary responsibility to address the issue of social diversity by recommending the names of suitable candidates from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBC), minorities and women "rests with them".

In the present system, the government can only appoint those persons as judges of the Supreme Court and high courts who are recommended by the apex court collegium, the department pointed out.

The Department of Justice gave a detailed presentation to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, chaired by senior BJP leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi.

"It is almost 30 years that the judiciary has assumed the primacy role in the appointment of judges to the constitutional courts. However, the aspiration to make the higher judiciary inclusive and representative, addressing the need for social diversity, is not yet achieved," the department said.