CHENNAI: Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson of the DMK penned a letter to the Union Law Minister, Arjun Ram Meghwal, on Tuesday, advocating for an increase in the retirement age of high court and supreme court judges to 65 years and 70 years, respectively.
In his letter, he brought attention to the alarming number of pending cases in the courts, citing recent statistics that reveal approximately 69,000 cases pending before the SC and a staggering 59,87,477 cases pending before the various HCs.
One of the primary reasons for the backlog is the significant number of vacancies in high courts, which exacerbates the delays. The situation is further aggravated by the delayed appointment of new judges to fill the vacancies.
Drawing attention to the advancements in science, technology, medicine, infrastructure, and lifestyle over the past five decades, Wilson argued that individuals in various other professions can efficiently function and work well up to the age of around 75 years. He emphasised that the increase in human lifespan calls for a reevaluation of the retirement age for judges as well.
To support his argument, he pointed out instances where retired chief justices and judges were designated as senior advocates by the Supreme Court, indicating their willingness to continue working even after retirement.