New Delhi, Jan 21: On Tuesday, the Supreme Court instructed all high courts to hasten the establishment of a two-judge panel to address complaints from district judicial officers regarding the implementation of the recommendations from the Second National Judges Pay Commission.
A bench consisting of Justices B R Gavai, Augustine George Masih, and K Vinod Chandran issued the order after senior advocate K Paremeshwar, serving as amicus curiae, noted that many high courts had not yet formed the Committees for Service Conditions of the District Judiciary (CSCDJ) as previously directed.
Last year, on January 4, the top court recommended the formation of a two-judge panel in all high courts to ensure the implementation of orders related to pay, pension, and other retirement benefits for judicial officers in accordance with the Second National Judicial Pay Commission (SNJPC).
During the hearing on Tuesday, the amicus reported that while some high courts had established these panels, they had not convened regularly to address grievances, leading many judicial officers to seek relief from the Supreme Court.
“We therefore urge all high courts to comply with the directives issued by this court in the order dated January 4, 2024. If any high court has not yet appointed the CSCDJs, these should be appointed within four weeks from today,” the bench stated.
The court also mandated that nodal officers, who must be retired district judges, of the CSCDJs be appointed within the same four-week timeframe.
It instructed the respective high courts to allocate office space for the nodal officers within their facilities. The bench directed the apex court registry to send a copy of its order to the chief secretaries of all states and union territories as well as to the registrar generals of high courts.
The recommendations of the SNJPC include pay structures, pensions, family pensions, allowances, and the establishment of a permanent mechanism to determine matters related to the service conditions of the district judiciary.
Previously, the apex court stated that each high court would have a two-person committee made up of high court judges, including one who has been elevated from the district judiciary, to address SNJPC-related matters and other grievances of current and former judicial officers.
The registrar general of the high court will serve as the ex-officio secretary of this panel, which will include a former district judge as its nodal officer, according to the court.
This hearing was prompted by a plea from the All India Judges Association and others concerning the pay and service conditions of district judicial officers. (Agencies)
