Major relief to 25,000 judicial officers, Apex Court orders implementation of enhanced pay from 2016

In a huge relief to around 25,000 judicial officers across India, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the implementation of an enhanced pay scale from January 1, 2016. the highest court also directed the Centre and states to pay arrears to them in 3 tranches - 25 per cent in 3 months, another 25 per cent within the next 3 months and also the balance by June 30, 2023.

Stating that there was an indispensable have to revise the salaries of judicial officers across the country, the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday directed the Centre and state governments to boost pay scales of judicial officers from January 1, 2016.

A bench headed by justice of India NV Ramana said, "As a matter of fact, scales and pay of presidency servants, central and state, are raised every 5 or 10 years. But judicial officers don't seem to be covered by this. there's an essential have to revise the par structure immediately."

The court too has earlier expressed concern on the problem and had said that two issues must be selected a priority basis, i.e., one referring to Pay Scales to the subordinate and also the other referring to pensionary/retiral benefits, keeping in mind the long tendency of those two issues.

The Supreme Court of India in 2017 directed the appointment of a Judicial Pay Commission to review the pay scales, emoluments and repair conditions of the Judicial Officers of Subordinate Judiciary in India.

Accordingly, the government formed the Second National Judicial Pay Commission (SNJPC) under the Chairmanship of Justice (Retd) P Venkatarama Reddi, former judge of the Supreme Court of India.

The SNJPC submitted its report back to the govt in 2020 and to the Supreme Court.