Judicial Pay Commission recommendations: SC summons Chief Secretaries and Finance Secretaries of defaulting states

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday summoned the Chief Secretaries and Finance Secretaries of states and Union Territories which are defaulting on the implementation of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission's (SNJPC) recommendations.

In its order, a bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, noted that many states and UTs have failed to implement the revised pay scale and retiral benefits for judicial officers.

The bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said that the directions issued by the apex court should be complied with by August 20 this year and Chief Secretaries and Finance Secretaries of all the defaulting states and UTs will personally remain present before the court on the next date of listing.

The Supreme Court had ordered to implementation of the proposals of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission, chaired by former apex court judge Justice P.V. Reddy on the revision of pay and pension for judicial officers, with effect from January 1, 2016, after a plea was filed by the All India Judges Association for the constitution of the All India Judicial Commission to review the service conditions of the judges of the district judiciary.

In its decision, the top court had said: "The work of a judge cannot be assessed solely in terms of their duties during court working hours. The state is under an affirmative obligation to ensure dignified conditions of work for its judicial officers and it cannot raise the defence of an increase in financial burden or expenditure."