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Justified demand of CJI for raising retirement-age of High Court judges

Kashmir Times. Dated: 6/26/2019 12:52:35 AM

Dear Editor,
It refers to Chief Justice of India CJI writing to Prime Minister for raising retirement-age of High Court judges to 65 years. Raising retirement-age of High Court judges from present 62 years to 65 years as rightly suggested by CJI will make it at par with that of Supreme Court judges. It will effectively check tendency, if any, amongst some of High Court judges for lobbying to be elevated to Supreme Court for availing maximum tenure in judiciary.
But simultaneously, Central government should also make it compulsory to appoint all High Court judges compulsorily from outside their home-states to check any influence on them by their local relations or former bar-colleagues.
Also ruling BJP should implement its own demand while it was in opposition for imposing a two-year ban on post-retirement appointment of retired judges including at National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). NHRC Chief can be selected from amongst retired Supreme Court judges after two years of retirement rather than present system of appointing only retired Chief Justice of India at the post. Present system has at times caused vacancy at the post for long like happened when Justice RC Lahoti declined to accept the post, and Justice YK Sabharwal was not considered fit to head NHRC.
—Subhash Chandra Agrawal,
1775 Kucha Lattushah
Dariba, Chandni Chowk Delhi.