Supreme Court sets up panel for enhanced pay to lower courts judges

The Supreme Court today constituted a one-man committee headed by senior advocate E Padmanabham to make recommendations for increase in pay scales and allowances for judges of the lower judiciary.

A bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and P Sathasivam said the committee would submit its report to the court by July 28, so that appropriate orders could be passed on it.

The bench passed the direction while dealing with an application moved by the All India Judges Association seeking enhanced pay structure to junior civil judges, senior civil judges, district judges (entry level), district judges (selection grade) and district judges (super time selection grade.

According to the Association, the enhanced pay structures had become necessary in terms of the Justice Shetty Committee recommendations (first national judicial pay commission) that the salary structures of these judges be revised upward whenever the salaries of the high court judges are enhanced.

Since the central government had in a notification issued on January 1, 2009, enhanced the salaries and allowances of High Court and Supreme Court judges, the revision in pay scales of lower court judges had also become necessary, the Association had contended, following which the apex court constituted the committee.