SC gives ‘final chance’ to states to implement Second National Judicial Pay Commission

New Delhi, Nov 23: The Supreme Court on Thursday gave a “final chance” to defaulting states and Union Territories for the implementation of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission (SNJPC).

In its order, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra noted that many states and UTs have failed to implement the revised pay scale and retiral benefits for judicial officers hailing from the district judiciaries.

The bench said that the directions issued by the apex court should be complied by the next date of listing, otherwise Chief Secretaries of all the defaulting states and UTs will personally remain present before the court on December 8.

The Supreme Court had ordered to implement the proposals of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission 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.

The top court had noted that though the government officials' payments are raised in some states within five years and once in every 10 years in the Central government, judicial officers are not covered by the Pay Commissions constituted by the states and the Centre.