Supreme Court Seeks Response From MP High Court and State on Plea to Raise District Judges’ Retirement Age to 61 Years
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Madhya Pradesh High Court and the State Government regarding a plea challenging the refusal to increase the retirement age of judicial officers from 60 to 61 years.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing a writ petition filed by the Madhya Pradesh Judges Association. The petition questions the MP High Court’s administrative order that denied the proposed enhancement.
The Association argued that this denial violates the Supreme Court’s earlier order dated May 26, 2025. In that order, a Bench led by CJI Gavai and Justice AG Masih had clarified that there was no legal obstacle to increasing the retirement age of District Judges to 61 years and directed the Madhya Pradesh High Court to make a decision within three months.
The petitioners further claimed that they were not given a copy of the High Court’s administrative decision, which was merely communicated orally through the Registrar General. The plea alleges that the High Court’s refusal amounts to “step-motherly treatment” towards subordinate judiciary officers in Madhya Pradesh.
Senior Advocate Ajit S. Bhasme, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that they were only seeking parity with Telangana, where the retirement age for District Judges has already been raised to 61 years. The Court’s earlier order in the All India Judges Association case, which permitted such an increase in Telangana, was also cited.
After hearing the arguments, the Supreme Court issued notice to the respondents and listed the matter for hearing after two weeks.
The petition was filed through Advocate-on-Record Sanjay Kumar Dubey, with assistance from Advocates Rakesh Kumar Tewari, Shuchi Singh, Ujjwal Kumar Dubey, Krishna Kant Dubey, Devendra Kumar Shukla, and Shivani Mishra.
Case Title: Madhya Pradesh Judges Association v. The High Court of Madhya Pradesh & Anr., W.P. (C) No. 000986/2025
