Raising judges' retirement age could extend service of non-performers: Justice Dept. to Parliamentary Panel

The Department of Justice said increasing the retirement age of judges would be considered along with measures to ensure transparency and accountability in appointments to the higher judiciary

Increasing the retirement age of Supreme Court and High Court judges could extend the years of service of non-performing judges and might have a cascading effect with government employees raising similar demands, the Department of Justice told a Parliamentary panel.

It also said increasing the retirement age of judges would be considered along with measures to ensure transparency and accountability in appointments to the higher judiciary.

In July, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju had informed Parliament that there is no proposal to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court and High Court judges.

The Department of Justice made a presentation before the Parliamentary panel on Personnel, Law, and Justice that is chaired by BJP MP and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi.

The Department in the Ministry of Law and Justice made the presentation that comprised details of judicial processes and reforms, including on the possibility of increasing the retirement age of High Court and Supreme Court judges.

"Enhancing the age of retirement might extend benefits in terms of extended years of service in certain non-deserving cases and lead to non-performing and under-performing judges to continue," the department said in its presentation.

It also suggested that raising the retirement age of judges should be considered along with bringing down pending cases and bringing transparency in the judiciary.