Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday passed an interim order raising the retirement age of judicial officers in Madhya Pradesh from 60 to 61 years for the subordinate judiciary. The retirement age of High Court judges is already 62.
A bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai, Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice K Vinod Chandran granted the relief while referring to a similar precedent set by the Telangana High Court. The apex court questioned the rationale behind denying this benefit to judicial officers when the state government appeared willing to extend it.
The bench drew a sharp parallel between judicial officers and other state government employees noting the disparity in their superannuation ages. The court observed that while other state government employees in Madhya Pradesh retire at the age of 62, judicial officers were being made to retire at 60.
Judicial officers as well as other employees of the state government draw salaries from the same public exchequer,” the bench remarked
The SC bench asked MP High Court why it was objecting to the judicial officers’ association’s request when the state government itself had no apparent objection and would bear the additional financial burden.
If it gets done (if the retirement age is modified) then, the state government will pay for the salaries for the additional year, not you (the High Court), the apex court remarked, according to senior advocate Ajit Bhasme.
