SC rejects plea for raising judges’ retirement age

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL), seeking a direction to the Centre to set up an authority to consider increasing the retirement age of the Apex Court judges. At present, SC judges superannuate at the age of 65 years.

A Bench, headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur, referred to constitutional provisions on the issue and said the retirement age of Supreme Court judges has been settled by the Constitution itself and it cannot be looked into.

The Bench, also comprising Justices R Banumathi and UU Lalit, said the Constitution provides for “authority” in case there is a dispute over the age of a judge.

“We must appreciate your enthusiasm for us. Tell us, do you like to withdraw this,” the court observed, which led counsel for petitioner Vibhor Anand, a law student, to withdraw the plea.

“That when the Constitution came into force in 1950, 65 years was considered to be an extremely old age due to insufficient medical facilities and higher death rate, but the scenario has completely changed now as life expectancy has increased tremendously due to better medical facilities available in the country,” the plea stsated.

“It is submitted that in present times the increase in the retirement age of Supreme Court judges is expressly needed so that the public at large could be benefited from their vast experience they have gathered over the years,” the plea added.

The plea said that Vibhor Anand had submitted a representation to the Central government to take appropriate steps to form an authority for determination of age of Supreme Court judges as mandated by “Article 124(2A) in view of 15th Amendment in the Constitution of India.”