Many Good Lawyers Refuse Judgeship Since Pay Is Not Sufficient : Justice Dipankar Datta

Justice Dipankar Datta of the Supreme Court on Saturday said that the remuneration of judges needs to be enhanced to attract talented lawyers to the Bench, noting that many competent advocates decline judgeship offers because the current pay is not financially viable for them.

Sharing his experiences as the former Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Justice Datta recounted instances where lawyers refused elevation due to the comparatively low salary offered to judges.

"In the Bombay High Court, they said, Sir, nowadays times have changed. Our children go abroad for educational purposes. With rupees 2.25 lakh per month plus allowances, it will not be possible for me to make both ends meet. So good lawyers refuse judgeship because what we pay is not sufficient for their needs."

Justice Datta narrated another anecdote he had heard from his predecessor, where a senior advocate declined an offer of judgeship citing his personal expenses.

"This I heard from my predecessor, Chief Justice. He invited a senior advocate. He came. Yes, Sir, what do you want? I want to offer you judgeship. Very well. Sir, what is the salary? Rupees 2.25 plus allowances. What was his answer? Sir, I have four pets at home, and I spend rupees 4 lakhs for my four pets. If I have to become a judge, I have to steal."

Emphasising the need for policy intervention, Justice Datta suggested that the government should reconsider judicial pay structures to ensure that meritorious individuals are willing to join the judiciary.

"So let the government think of it. You don't have the core meritorious persons coming over to the judiciary. You need to incentivize them so that they come over. Not everyone is a hermit. Not everyone is a hermit that they would be not thinking about their lives and taking judgeship. Unless you have meritorious people on the bench, don't think of expeditious disposal of cases."

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