Supreme Court notes 14 states adopt higher retirement age for judges

On Monday, a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana expressed satisfaction that fourteen states have committed to raising the retirement age of district judicial officers from 60 to 62 years, as directed on September 4. The court declined to schedule individual pleas from judges about to retire, emphasizing its persuasive jurisdiction over the matter. Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar had requested such listings, arguing that retirements occur daily.

The bench reminded that judges in seven states who retired on or after March 31 may re-join if they have not secured other employment, pending suitability assessments by the respective High Courts. States are instructed to amend service rules within two months, preventing superannuation at 60 until the age of 62, subject to performance reviews. The court also directed several other states and union territories to revisit their positions, rejecting financial burden as a valid excuse. This development builds on a 2002 Supreme Court judgment that declined the Justice K Jagannatha Shetty Commission’s recommendation to raise the retirement age.