In a landmark decision reaffirming constitutional equality, the Supreme Court has ruled that all retired High Court judges are entitled to full pension benefits, regardless of the date they entered service. The ruling puts an end to longstanding disparities in pension entitlements based on the tenure or status of the judges.
The verdict was delivered by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, which emphasized that any form of discrimination among judges with respect to pension would violate Article 14 of the Constitution. Article 14 guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the laws to all citizens.
The Court also clarified that there should be no distinction between Additional Judges and Permanent Judges of the High Courts when it comes to pension entitlement. This means Additional Judges will now receive full pension benefits at par with their permanent counterparts.
