District Judges' Retirement Age Can Be Enhanced To 61 Years : Supreme Court To Madhya Pradesh High Court

The Supreme Court today (May 26) clarified that there was no impediment in raising the retirement age of District Judges to 61 years and asked the Madhya Pradesh High Court to take an administrative decision on enhancing the retirement age within 3 months. The bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih was hearing the petition by the Madhya Pradesh Judges Association seeking enhancement of the retirement age of district judges in Madhya Pradesh to 62 years. The petitioners had in 2018 made a representation before the High Court for considering such an enhancement. The High Court had rejected on the grounds that the decision of the Apex Court in the All India Judges Association Case (2002) does not allow it. The Supreme Court relied on its earlier order in an application filed by the Telangana State Government in the All India Judges Association Case. Here, the Telangana High Court had sought clarification on a similar issue of increasing the retirement age of district judges to 61 years. Considering the same, it was observed : "In that view of the order, we do not find that there should be any impediment in permitting the state of Madhya Pradesh to increase the age of superannuation of judicial officers working in the state of MP to the age of 61 years" However, the Court clarified that, "In case the High Court takes a decision to increase the age to 61, the same will be permitted" The Court asked the High Court to consider the issue at the earliest. " The High Court on its administrative side to take a decision at its earliest. At any case, within a period of 3 months" The counsel for the MP Judges' Association informed the bench that earlier the petitioners had sought the enhancement of judge's retirement age to be 62 years, which is equivalent to the enhanced retirement age of government officials (which was 60 years earlier). However, now, it is pressed to consider enhancement up to 61 years only. Case Details : MADHYA PRADESH JUDGES ASSOCIATION vs. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH| W.P.(C) No. 000819 - / 2018 Citation : 2025 LiveLaw (SC) 664Click here to read the order

District Judges' Retirement Age Can Be Enhanced To 61 Years : Supreme Court To Madhya Pradesh High Court

Anmol Kaur Bawa

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