Supreme Court fiat on judges' pension

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today said that the judicial officers of subordinate courts will be entitled for pensionary benefits after rendering a minimum service of 20 years instead of prevailing 33 years.

A special bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia accepted the recommendations of apex court-appointed committee which reduced the minimum service required for entitlement of pension from 33 years to 20.

The bench, hearing the matters relating to judicial infrastructure, approved the suggestions of the Padmanabhan committee recommending the payment of 50 per cent of the last drawn salary of judges to be given as pension.

Justice E Padmanabhan, a former judge of the Madras High Court, had submitted the report to the Supreme Court proposing an average three-fold hike in existing salaries that was recommended by the first National Judicial Pay Commission (NJPC) in 1999.

The Bench, also comprising Justices Aftab Alam and K S Radhakrishan, gave a green signal for raising the ceiling of gratuity to the retired judges which was enhanced from Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

The apex court had in May directed state governments to give salary to judges as per recommendations of the committee.

All India Judges Association (AIJA) had approached the apex court seeking implementation of the recommendations of the committee contending that there has been a wide disparity between the salary of judicial officers and other government employees.

The second judicial pay commission was appointed following a Supreme Court order on an application filed by the AIJA.