Increasing the retirement age of High Court Judges

Increasing the retirement age of High Court Judges

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF  LAW & JUSTICE
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-710
ANSWERED ON-04.03.2013

Increasing the retirement age of High Court Judges

710 .    SHRI D. BANDYOPADHYAY:

(a)    whether Government is contemplating to increase the retirement age of High Court Judges to 65 years to make it at par with that of the Supreme Court Judges; and

(b)    if so, whether it would adversely affect the possibility of competent Chief Justices of well known and prestigious High Courts leaving their present assignments to join the Supreme Court which would involve displacement from their present locations without the incentive of additional years of service?

ANSWER

(a)     : The Constitution (One Hundred and Fourteenth Amendment) Bill, 2010 which provides for increasing the retirement age of Judges of High Courts from 62 to 65 years was taken up for discussion in the Lok Sabha on 28.12.2011. However, the discussion has remained inconclusive. The Bill would bring the retirement age of High Court Judges at par with that of the Supreme Court Judges.

(b) : No Sir. The Supreme Court is the highest Court of the land and the Judgeship of this Court is considered very prestigious. The increase in the retirement age of High Court Judges should not in any way affect the selection of the competent Chief Justices as Judges of the Supreme Court.

Source-http://rajyasabha.nic.in/