Supreme Court Criticizes Low Pension for District Judges, Urges Central Government Review
The Supreme Court expressed significant concern on Thursday regarding the inadequate pension rates for district judges, highlighting that these rates remain insufficient even if judges are later promoted to High Courts. The Court’s remarks came during a hearing of a petition filed in 2015 by the All India Judges Association.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, noted that district judges, who often only become High Court judges late in their careers—typically around ages 55-60—face substantial financial challenges. They highlighted that despite years of service, their pension is not adjusted to reflect the higher rates applicable to High Court judges, leaving some retired judges with pensions as low as ₹8,000 a month.
CJI Chandrachud emphasized that these judges often cannot take up other employment post-retirement, exacerbating their financial strain. He recalled a case where a judicial officer, recommended for a High Court position, was told her service as a district judge would not be considered for pension purposes, and pointed out the distressing situation of a judge suffering from cancer in this context.
The Supreme Court urged the Central government to reassess how pensions for district judges are calculated, suggesting that the judiciary should be treated with greater consideration in matters of retiral benefits. CJI Chandrachud stressed that the financial implications should be managed sensitively and differently, given the unique nature of judicial service.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the Court that the government would review the issue. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on August 27, following a request for adjournment by Attorney General of India R Venkataramani and SG Mehta.
In previous hearings, the Court had already noted the inadequacy of pensions for retired district judges and warned that contempt proceedings could be initiated against Chief Secretaries of States failing to implement revised pension rates from July 1.
(With inputs from agency)
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