The decision follows the outgoing CJI, N.V. Ramana's public statement that judges live without security or assurance of safety after retirement.
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THE Union Government earlier today, in exercise of its power to make rules under Section 24 of the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1958, notified amendments to the Supreme Court Judges Rules, 1959, to provide additional post-retiral benefits to the retired Chief Justice of India ('CJI') and other retired judges of the Supreme Court.
With the amendments, a retired CJI and a retired judge of the Supreme Court will be entitled to a chauffeur and secretarial assistant for a year after their retirement. In addition, they will be entitled to security cover at their residence as well as personal security for a period of one year after retirement. Besides, they will also be entitled to use ceremonial lounges at airports.
In addition, a retired CJI will be entitled to rent-free Type-VII accommodation in Delhi (other than the designated official residence) for a period of six months after retirement.
The Union Government has also, in exercise of its power to make rules under Section 24 of the High Court Judges(Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1954, amended the High Court Judges Rules, 1956, as per which a retired Chief Justice of a High Court shall now be entitled to protocol to extend courtesies at ceremonial lounges at airports.
Last month, CJI N.V. Ramana, while delivering the Justice S.B. Sinha Memorial Inaugural Lecture in Ranchi, had raised concerns over the security of judges post-retirement. He said that there is an increase in attacks on judges. He had opined that judges live without any security or assurance of safety after their retirement, in the same society as the people who they convicted in judicial cases during their tenure.
Click here to view the sets of amendments notified by the Union Government.