India, Sept. 4 -- India's Constitution contains a clause designed to bring eminent scholars and academics to its highest court. Yet, the provision has never been used, leading a sitting Supreme Court judge to recently describe it as one of the country's great "unused mandates."

Speaking at the National Law University convocation in Delhi on August 30, Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan questioned why India has overlooked legal researchers and professors for 76 years, relying only on veteran courtroom lawyers and career judges to make appointments to the country's top court.

According to Article 124(3) of the Constitution, which prescribes the qualifications to be a judge of the Supreme Court, a candidate must be an Indian citizen ...