IAS Gyan

Daily News Analysis

The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2021  

2nd December, 2021 Polity

Figure 1: No Copyright Infringement Intended

Context:

  • The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Minister of Law and Justice.

About the Bill

  • The Bill seeks to amend: (i) the High Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1954, and (ii) the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1958.  
  • These Acts regulate the salaries and conditions of service of the judges of High Courts and the Supreme Court of India.

Details:

  • Provisions of the act: Under the Acts, all retired judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts and their family members are entitled to pension or family pension.  They are also entitled to an additional quantum of pension or family pension when they attain a certain age in accordance with a specified scale.  The scale contains five age brackets (with minimum age of 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100 years), and the additional quantum increases with age (from 20% to 100% of the pension or family pension).  
  • Bill : The Bill clarifies that a person will be entitled to the additional pension or family pension from the first day of the month in which they complete the minimum age under the concerned age bracket.