New Delhi, October 26: The Supreme Court on Monday welcomed the agreement of 14 states to raise the retirement age of district judicial officers from 60 to 62 years, expressing hope that others would follow.
The court is hearing a petition seeking a uniform retirement age across the district judiciary. It has asked the remaining states and Union territories concerned to reconsider their stand on the proposed increase.
During the proceedings, senior advocate Ranjit Kumar sought urgent consideration of pleas involving judicial officers approaching retirement, saying officers were leaving service every day.
The bench declined to urgently list the individual petitions, noting that the main case was already scheduled for hearing. It said the broader issue was being addressed through discussions between the court and state governments.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked seven states that accepted the proposal to amend their service rules, preferably within two months. Continued service up to 62 would depend on the High Court concerned assessing each officer’s suitability and performance.
