Kerala raises judicial officers' retirement age to 62, days after CJI remark on CM’s legal roots

New Delhi: A remark made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant in open court last week has taken on unexpected weight, after the Kerala Cabinet decided to raise the retirement age of judicial officers in the state from 60 to 62. Chief Minister V D Satheesan announced the decision following Wednesday's Cabinet meeting.

The move comes just days after CJI Surya Kant asked Kerala’s Advocate General Jaju Babu to convince the state's Chief Minister to raise the retirement age of Judicial Officers. Referring to Satheesan’s own background at the Bar, the CJI told the Advocate General, “Your Chief Minister was a leading member of the Bar. It's easy to convince him.”

The remark was made as the Supreme Court heard arguments in the long-running case over enhancing the retirement age of judicial officers across the country. The court has been urging states to raise the age of superannuation for judicial officers from 60 to 62, citing mounting case pendency and the need to retain experienced hands in the subordinate judiciary.

Kerala had so far held back from committing to the change, making the CJI's direct appeal to the state's Advocate General, and by extension to Satheesan, a moment of some importance. Within days, the state's position shifted, with the Cabinet clearing the two-year enhancement.

Kerala's decision brings it in line with a growing list of states that have accepted the Supreme Court's recommendation. A three-judge bench led by CJI Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, has been hearing the matter as part of the long-pending All India Judges' Association v Union of India proceedings.

Seven states – Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal – had already agreed to the change earlier this month, with the court directing them to formally amend their service rules within two months, subject to a suitability assessment of officers by the concerned High Court once they turn 60.

With Wednesday's Cabinet decision, Kerala now joins that list extending the tenure of its judicial officers by two years in a move expected to help ease the pressure of pending cases in the state's subordinate courts.