NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today sought the government's response on a plea seeking setting up of an All India Judicial Commission to review the service conditions of members of the subordinate judiciary.
A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu issued notice to the Ministry of Law and Justice, states and Registrars General of all High Courts on the plea of a judges association which has sought setting up of a permanent independent commission. The apex court's direction came while hearing a plea by All India Judges Association (AIJA), whose members are judges of the subordinate judiciary, which sought setting up an All India Judicial Services and separate pay commission for subordinate court judges in the country.
"Issue direction to constitute All India Judicial Commission to review the service conditions of the judicial officers of subordinate judiciary in India including but not limited to pay Scale, retirement age, pension and other emoluments of the subordinate judiciary from time to time," the plea said. "The Supreme Court has ruled in All India Judges Association vs Union of India that the service conditions of the Judicial Officers should be laid down and reviewed from time to time by an independent commission exclusively constituted for the purpose...," it said.
"Though the periodic exercise of constituting a Pay Commission for the executive in public service has been undertaken by the Central/State Governments and pay scales are being reviewed, no such mechanism has been put in place for the judicial services despite specific directions by this Court to this effect," the association said.