Opposition to judicial officers’ retirement age hike misdirected: SC
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked states and Union territories opposing an increase in the retirement age of judicial officers beyond 60 years to reconsider their stand within two weeks, observing that financial burden cannot be a valid reason to deny the benefit
The Supreme Court has urged states and Union territories to reconsider their opposition to raising the retirement age for judicial officers beyond 60 years. The bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, stated that the financial burden cited by several states is a "misdirected" reason to deny the benefit. The court emphasized that judicial officers receive a lump sum retirement benefit in addition to pension, making the financial argument less valid.
The bench also dismissed the argument that increasing the retirement age would create disparity with other government employees, noting that judges are a distinct class separate from government servants. The court directed the states to take an "urgent" and "pragmatic" stance on the matter within two weeks, emphasizing that retaining experienced judges is in the larger public interest.
Several states, including Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Assam, have opposed the proposal, while Tamil Nadu has supported raising the retirement age to 61 years, and Andhra Pradesh has decided to do so. The Supreme Court aims to establish a uniform policy nationwide and noted that high courts remain divided on the issue.
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