GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 19th May: In a landmark judgment aimed at ensuring equality within the judiciary, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that all high court judges — including additional judges — will be entitled to full pension and retirement benefits, irrespective of their tenure, appointment status, or origin of elevation.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Augustine George Masih declared that any discrimination in pension benefits based on whether a judge retired as an additional or permanent judge, or whether they were elevated from the Bar or district judiciary, violates the right to equality guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution.
“The Union of India shall pay a full pension of Rs 13.50 lakh per annum to all high court judges, including additional judges. Former chief justices of high courts will receive Rs 15 lakh per annum as pension,” the court ordered.
Delivering the verdict, the bench further asserted that families of deceased additional judges are also entitled to the same pensionary benefits as those of permanent judges. The ruling also applies to judges covered under the National Pension System (NPS), who will now receive the same pension as those under the older scheme.
“We hold that any discrimination among high court judges for terminal benefits after retirement will be violative of Article 14. Thus, all high court judges, regardless of when they entered service or whether they were additional judges, are entitled to full pension,” the bench stated.
The apex court’s decision came in response to multiple petitions, including the one titled In Re: Re-fixation of Pension Considering Service Period in District Judiciary and High Court, which highlighted disparities in pension disbursement based on the nature of judges’ appointments.
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