Ex-SC judge seeks pension parity

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 17. Mr. Justice Kuldip Singh, retired judge of the Supreme Court has moved the court seeking parity of pension and medical facilities for retired judges of the apex court.

The Attorney-General, Mr. Soli Sorabjee, told a bench comprising Mr. Justice B.N. Kirpal and Mr. Justice Ashok Bhan, before whom the two petitions came up for hearing today that he would take up the matter with the Government authorities concerned to arrive at a settlement and sought time till November 8.

The bench told the Attorney-General that it would be advisable to have a uniform pension for retired judges of the High Courts and Supreme Court on basis of the last salary drawn.

In his petitions, Mr. Justice Singh, who was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court directly from the Bar, pointed out that under the revised pension rules, a retired judge of the Supreme Court would draw an annual pension of Rs. 14,630, multiplied by the number of years he served as a judge in the apex court subject to a maximum of Rs. 1,80,000 per annum.

He submitted that there was almost an established convention that no advocate below the age of 55 years would be considered for appointment as judge of the Supreme Court leaving a maximum of 10 years as a judge. Thus, an advocate appointed as judge could never claim the full pension, as a Supreme Court judge retires at the age of 65 years.

However, Mr. Justice Singh said that if a High Court judge was elevated to the Supreme Court, he would invariably have more than 10 years of service and moreover his service as a High Court judge would also be taken into account thus entitling him to full pension of Rs. 1,80,000.

Mr. Justice Singh, who was a judge of the apex court for eight years, said, ``there are more than 20 retired Supreme Court judges who have served as Supreme Court judges for lesser number of years than him and yet all of them are drawing more pension than the petitioner.''

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