Jahanvi Agarwal
The Supreme Court has recently issued a directive to all High Courts across the nation, mandating the establishment of committees tasked with implementing the recommendations of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission.
The commission’s focus is on enhancing the salaries and service conditions of district judiciary members and addressing grievances faced by judicial officers. The bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, emphasized the importance of ensuring financial dignity for judges to uphold judicial independence.
In its decision on January 4, the Court rejected the notion of equating judicial service with other state officers, emphasizing the distinct functions, duties, and constraints for members of the judicial service. To facilitate effective implementation, the Court ordered the formation of a committee called the ‘Committee for Service Conditions of the District Judiciary’ in each High Court.
The committee’s composition includes two nominated High Court Judges, one of whom must have prior district judiciary experience, the Law Secretary/Legal Remembrancer, the Registrar General of the High Court serving as an ex officio Secretary, and a retired judicial officer nominated by the Chief Justice to act as a nodal officer for grievance redressal.
The senior-most Judge nominated by the Chief Justice of the respective High Court will chair the committee. The committee may co-opt state government officers for specific department-related deliberations.
The committee’s functions encompass overseeing the SNJPC recommendations proper implementation, serving as a single-point nodal agency for judicial officers grievances, establishing an institutional mechanism for recording concerns about pay, pension, and service conditions, and ensuring quality empanelled hospitals for each district.
The Supreme Court directed the High Court committees to disburse arrears of salary, pension, and allowances to judicial officers and retirees by February 29, 2024. The committees are expected to monitor compliance and submit reports to the Supreme Court through the Registrar General of the High Court by April 7, 2024.
Case Name: All India Judges Association v. Union of India & Ors.
Diary Number: 643/ 2015
Bench: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra