Judicial Officers' Pay : Supreme Court Asks High Courts To Form Committees For Service Conditions Of District Judiciary Within 4 Weeks

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 21) urged all High Courts to ensure the constitution of the "Committee for Service Conditions of the District Judiciary" (CSCDJ) in terms of the directions issued in the All India Judges Association case in January 2024 to deal with the grievances of judicial officers regarding the implementation of the Second National Judges Pay Commission (SNJPC). A bench comprising Justice BR Gavai, Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice K Vinod Chandran passed the direction after being informed by Senior Advocate K Paremeshwar, the amicus curiae in the All India Judges Association case, that many High Courts are yet to constitute the CSCDJs. Even in many High Courts where the Committees have been formed, they are not holding regular meetings, the amicus said, resulting in many judicial officers filing applications in the Supreme Court raising their individual grievances. Also, in many High Courts, nodal officers have not been appointed for the CSCDJs.Noting that the CSCDJs were directed to be formed to obviate the situation of the Supreme Court getting flooded with individual applications of judicial officers, the bench observed that if the directions issued on January 4, 2024, are implemented in letter and spirit, many of the issues would get resolved at the level of the Committee itself."We therefore request all the High Courts to implement the directions issued by this Court by order dated 04.01.2024. If the CSCDJs are not appointed so far by any of the High Courts, the same shall be appointed within a period of four weeks from today," the bench observed in the order passed in exercise of powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.The Court also directed that the Nodal Officers of the CSCDJs, who are required to be a retired District Judge, be appointed within a period of four weeks. The High Courts were directed to provide office space for the Nodal Officers of CSCDJs within the premises of the High Courts, where the judicial officers can come to submit their grievances. Since the Nodal Officers would be working on a regular basis for the day-to-day operation of the CSCDJs, they were directed to be paid a monthly remuneration of Rs 75,000/- in addition to their monthly pension.Wherever the High Courts have more than one bench, the Nodal Officers shall visit the other benches as well to hear the grievances of judicial officers working within the jurisdiction of those benches. The Nodal Officers are entitled to TA/DA for travelling to the benches, which shall be paid by the State Governments.The CSCDJs were directed to meet at regular intervals of not more than three months. The decisions of the CSCDJs on individual grievances are to be implemented by the respective State Governments within a period of three months from the date of decisions. Judicial officers who are aggrieved by the decisions of the CSCDJs or the non-implementation of their decisions by the State Governments can approach the High Court on its judicial side, the Court clarified.The Registrar General of the Supreme Court was directed to forward the order to Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs and the Registrar Generals of the High Courts.As per the order dated 04.01.2024, the CSCDJs are to consist of :(i) Two Judges of the High Court to be nominated by the Chief Justice of which one should be a Judge who has previously served as a member of the district judiciary;(ii) The Law Secretary/Legal Remembrancer;(iii) The Registrar General of the High Court who shall serve as an ex officio Secretary of the Committee; and(iv) A retired judicial officer in the cadre of District Judge to be nominated by the Chief Justice who shall act as a nodal officer for the day to day redressal of grievances.Also from today's hearing - Record ACRs Of Judicial Officers Without Delay : Supreme Court To High Court JudgesFrame Rules To Increase Posts Of District Judge (Selection Grade) & District Judge (Super Time Scale) In 3 Months : Supreme Court To States & HCsJudicial Officer Who Got ACP Benefit Also Entitled To Additional Increment On Acquiring LLM Qualification: Supreme CourtCase : All India Judicial Association v Union of India W.P.(C) No. 643/2015 Citation : 2025 LiveLaw (SC) 130Click Here To Read/Download Order

Judicial Officers' Pay : Supreme Court Asks High Courts To Form Committees For Service Conditions Of District Judiciary Within 4 Weeks

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The Court directed that the Committees should meet at regular intervals.

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