On Thursday, the Supreme Court was taken aback by the shocking pension amounts received by some retired high court judges, ranging from as low as ₹6,000 to ₹15,000. The case was brought to the court’s attention by a retired judge from the Allahabad High Court, who is currently receiving a meager ₹15,000 as pension.
Discrepancy in Pension Calculations
The petitioner, who had served for 13 years as a district court judicial officer before being elevated to the high court, claims that his previous judicial service wasn’t considered when calculating his pension. The bench raised concerns about such disparities in pension benefits for retired judges.
Justice B R Gavai stated, “It is shocking that retired high court judges are receiving such low pensions. How is this possible?” The bench observed that the pension facilities for judges vary across different high courts, with some states offering far better benefits than others.
Ongoing Legal Review
In a separate plea earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that there should be no discrimination in the pension calculations between judges elevated from the bar and those from the district judiciary. The pension for retired judges should be based on their last drawn salary as a high court judge.
The next hearing will take place on November 27, where the court will continue to review the issue and consider corrective measures to ensure fair pension calculations for all retired judges.