Should District Judges' Retirement Age Be Raised From 60 To 61-62? Supreme Court Seeks Views Of Union, States & High Courts
While dealing with the All India Judges Association case, the Supreme Court yesterday issued notice to the Union of India, all States/Union Territories and the High Courts on the issue of increasing District Judges' retirement age from 60 to 61-62.
As an interim measure, the Court directed that the petitioner-judicial officers, who are due to retire having reached the age of 60 years, shall continue in service until the age of 61 (unless already relieved from service).
A bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana passed the order, after hearing Senior Advocates Vikas Singh and Siddharth Bhatnagar (Amicus Curiae).
Earlier in the day, the Court passed a similar order, extending the service of a UP judicial officer about to retire (having turned 60).
During the hearing, the CJI further noted that in the case of Madhya Pradesh, the Court had clarified in 2025 that there is no impediment in raising the retirement age of judicial officers to 61. Justice Bagchi on his part pointed out that the government subsequently raised the retirement age of the officers to 61, but the Court thereafter has issued notice on another writ petition (WP(c) 986/2025) seeking enhancement of the age from 61 to 62.
Before parting, Vikas Singh remarked, "it's otherwise also interesting. The court staff retires at 62, judges retire at 61!". "That's correct. That's why it should be considered holistically for the whole [country]", said Bhatnagar.
Case Title: ALL INDIA JUDGES ASSOCIATION AND ORS. Versus UNION OF INDIA AND ORS., W.P.(C) No. 1022/1989