The Supreme Court of India voiced its concern on Wednesday over the distressingly low pensions received by some retired high court judges, describing the situation as “pitiable.” During a session presided over by Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan, the issue of inadequate pension amounts ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 was brought into sharp focus.
This judicial scrutiny emerged during the hearing of multiple pleas concerning the pensionary woes of these retired officials. Attorney General R Venkataramani, representing the government, requested the court to defer the matter to January for further deliberation, promising efforts from the government’s side to address and potentially resolve the issue.
The justices emphasized a need for a humane approach rather than a strictly legalistic one when considering the financial security of retired high court judges. “You cannot have a legal approach in every matter. Sometimes, you need to have a humane approach,” remarked the bench, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The court also pointed out that their forthcoming decision would not focus on individual cases but would establish a guideline applicable to all retired high court judges. The bench has scheduled the next hearing for January 8.
Previously, the apex court had expressed shock in another hearing last month when it was revealed that some retired judges were surviving on pensions as meager as Rs 6,000. One petition, filed by a judge retired from the Allahabad High Court, highlighted the refusal of authorities to acknowledge his 13 years of service in the district judiciary for pension computation.
Addressing a related plea in March, the court had declared that there should be no discrimination in pension benefits between judges elevated from the bar and those from the district judiciary, asserting that pensions should reflect the last drawn salary of the judge in the high court.
