Pension for Judges

Subject – Polity

Context – Rajya Sabha approves Bill on enhanced pension for retired judges

Concept –

The High Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1954, and the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1958 regulate the salaries and conditions of service of the judges of High Courts and the Supreme Court of India.
The salaries and allowances of CJI and Supreme Court judges are charged from Consolidated Fund of India.
The salaries and allowances of state high court judges including chief justices are charged from Consolidated Fund of State.
Retired Judges of SC and all HCs are entitled to pension which is drawn from Consolidated Fund of India.

Current Provisions

Through the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Act, 2009, section 16B and section 17B were respectively inserted (in the 1954 Act and 1958 Act).
The 2009 act aims to provide that every retired Judge or after his death, the family will be entitled to an additional quantum of pension or family pension in accordance with the scale specified therein.
Accordingly, the additional quantum of pension to retired Judges of the High Court and Supreme Court is being sanctioned on completing the age of 80 years, 85 years, 90 years, 95 years and 100 years, as the case may be.
The additional quantum increases with age (from 20% to 100% of the pension or family pension).