Attorney General wants retirement age of SC, HC judges increased
New Delhi, July 6: Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, the government's primary lawyer in the Supreme Court, on Friday said the government should consider raising the retirement age of Supreme Court judges to 68 and High Court judges to 65. It is currently 65 and 62.
Venugopal, speaking at the farewell function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association for Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, referred to various cases he was hearing and the vision he had.
Many of the "innovative thoughts and ideas" of Justice Goel would remain "unfulfilled because of his retirement from office", he said.
"We are losing a judge of great excellence. His concern for the common man was great. This could have been avoided if the age of retirement was not 62 for a high court judge and 65 for Supreme Court judges.
"That is because a judge has to evolve over the years. He has to have vast experience as an advocate. When he becomes a judge, he has to sit on different benches doing different subjects so that he is an expert in each one.
"Finally, the judge is elevated to the Supreme Court. And in the Supreme Court, it is only when he presides that he is able to hold a sway in regard to the innovative thoughts that he has.
"By then, it is time to say 'goodbye'. Therefore, it is my sincere hope that the Government of India will look into this issue and raise it to, say, 65 for judges of high courts and 68 for judges of the Supreme Court. That will be in the interest of the justice delivery system."
With Justice Goel's retirement, the top court is left with 22 judges as against the sanctioned strength of 31.
Justice Goel enrolled at the Bar in 1974. He practised before the Punjab & Haryana High Court for five years and the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court for about 22 years.
Justice Goel headed the bench which delivered the judgment forbidding immediate arrest under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Justice Goel, who had a four-year tenure in the apex court, said it was the thought about people falsely accused not having a forum to turn to that persuaded him to take up this profession.
Justice Goel would be remembered for taking the path-breaking step of referring the issue of divorce through instant triple talaq among Muslims to a five-judge constitution bench which held it as illegal and arbitrary.
He was also part of another landmark judgement of 2016 quashing the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act which sought to give the executive a say in the appointment of top judges.
Justice Goel shared his dream for the legal system, saying he wants to see India at number 1 in the rule of law index.
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Cyclone Fengal: Pondy govt issues heavy rain alert to residents via SMS
Puducherry (PTI): Puducherry experienced heavy rains on Saturday morning prompting the union territory administration to send SMS alerts to around 12 lakh residents cautioning them to remain vigilant as cyclonic storm Fengal is expected to make landfall near here later in the day.
District Collector A Kulothungan told PTI that all necessary steps have been taken to ensure that people remained safe.
"We have evacuated people from low lying areas and shelter homes are ready to accommodate them. Arrangements were also made to supply food packets," he said adding that National Disaster Relief Force from Arakonam has arrived to engage in relief and rehabilitation works.
According to the official, cyclone Fengal was expected to cross the coast in the evening. Control rooms have been opened in the collectorate and also in the line departments.
Toll free numbers 112, 1077 and also WhatsApp number 94889 81070 have been put in place to help people facing crisis to contact for help.
Cyclone Fengal is likely to cross between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram coasts close to Puducherry, official sources said. The government has advised people to stay indoors.
The entire stretch of beach road and also several tourist spots were closed to ensure that there was no movement of the people near the sea shore.
Schools and colleges remained closed today.
