Supreme Court Clears Way for Madhya Pradesh to Raise District Judges’ Retirement Age to 61 Years

The Supreme Court today clarified that there is no legal obstacle to increasing the retirement age of District Judges in Madhya Pradesh to 61 years. The apex court has directed the Madhya Pradesh High Court to take an administrative decision on this matter within three months.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih was hearing a petition filed by the Madhya Pradesh Judges Association, which sought to enhance the retirement age of District Judges in the state to 62 years. The association had initially made this representation in 2018, but the Madhya Pradesh High Court had rejected it, citing the Supreme Court’s 2002 judgment in the All India Judges Association case, which allegedly barred such an extension.

Referring to a recent application filed by the Telangana State Government on a similar issue, the Supreme Court noted that the Telangana High Court had sought clarification regarding increasing the retirement age of District Judges to 61 years. Based on this, the Supreme Court observed that there is no impediment to Madhya Pradesh raising the retirement age of its judicial officers to 61 years.

The Court made it clear that any decision by the Madhya Pradesh High Court to increase the retirement age to 61 years would be permitted. The High Court was urged to consider and take an administrative decision expeditiously, mandating a timeline of three months for the same.

During the hearing, the counsel for the Madhya Pradesh Judges Association informed the bench that while the original demand was to raise the retirement age to 62 years—aligning with government officials’ retirement age, which was previously 60 years—the current request is limited to 61 years.

Case details: Madhya Pradesh Judges Association vs. State of Madhya Pradesh, W.P.(C) No. 000819/2018.