Justice Ujjal Bhuyan questions why Supreme Court lacks legal academics
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan from the Supreme Court recently wondered why India's top court has never had a "distinguished jurist" as a judge, even though the Constitution allows it.
Speaking at NLU Delhi's LL.M. convocation, he pointed out that for more than 76 years, no legal academic has made it to the bench, suggesting either not enough qualified scholars or simply that no one's tried hard enough.
Justice Bhuyan urges protecting academic spaces
Justice Bhuyan highlighted how legal academics can bring fresh perspectives to court decisions, something countries like the US and UK have done by appointing judges with academic backgrounds.
He also called for protecting academic spaces where debate and dissent are welcome, especially with recent clashes between law students and institutions.
Reminding everyone of values like tolerance, equality, and justice, he encouraged future lawyers to keep these principles alive in their work.