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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Clinical India crush Sri Lanka by 97 runs to win Women's Tri-Nation tournament
Colombo, May 11 (PTI): India displayed absolute dominance to crush Sri Lanka by 97 runs and earn a well-deserved title triumph in the Women's Tri-Nation ODI series after vice-captain Smriti Mandhana's sublime century and the bowlers' collective effort in the title clash here on Sunday.
After Mandhana rose to the occasion to power India to a commanding 342 for seven, the bowlers completed the task by bundling out Sri Lanka for 245, with Sneh Rana (4/38) and Amanjot Kaur (3/54) doing the bulk of the damage.
Skipper Chamari Athapaththu (51 off 66 balls) and Nilakshika Silva (48 off 58) were the chief contributors for the hosts.
Earlier, battling cramps in humid conditions, elegant left-hander Mandhana, who had returned to form with a fifty in India's last match against South Africa, struck a majestic 116 off 101 balls to lay the foundation for India's imposing total after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur opted to bat.
Her knock was laced with 15 fours and two sixes, including four successive boundaries off Athapaththu to bring up her 11th ODI hundred in style.
After the early dismissal of Pratika Rawal for 30, Mandhana shifted gears smoothly.
The stylish Mandhana made Sri Lanka pay for dropping her on 21 as was involved in two big partnerships - 70 for the first wicket with Pratika and 120 for the second with Harleen Deol.
She brought up her 32nd ODI fifty with a stylish sweep behind square.
The left-hander added 120 runs in 106 balls with Harleen (47 off 56; 4x4) for the second wicket to steady the innings before falling while attempting a lofted cover drive.
But her dismissal set the stage for a strong finish as Jemimah Rodrigues, coming off a career-best 123 against South Africa, smashed a quick-fire 44 off 29 balls (4x4), while Harmanpreet contributed a brisk 41 off 30 (4x4, 1x6) as India piled on 90 runs in the last 10 overs.
There was a brief phase where India looked to have lost steam in the final overs, but cameos from Deepti Sharma (20 not out off 14) and Amanjot Kaur (18 off 12) helped them surge past 340.
For Sri Lanka, Sugandika Kumari was the pick of their bowlers with 2/59, while Dewmi Vihanga (2/69) and Malki Madara (2/74) also picked two wickets each.
Set a formidable target, the home team needed a strong start, but instead, they lost Hasini Perera to Amanjot in only the third ball of the Sri Lankan innings.
Attempting to play through mid-off, Perera ended up playing down the wrong line as the ball crashed onto the off-stump.
Sri Lanka were one down without a run on the board and an onerous task awaited the duo of captain Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne (36 off 41 balls).
They seemed to be succeeding, as Athapaththu and Vishmi put Sri Lanka's chase back on track after the early blow. The pair negated the difficult phase well before opening up to hit boundaries.
However, Deepti's introduction put the brakes on Lankan scoring as the senior off-spinner bowled three economical overs on the trot before Amanjot gave India their second breakthrough by bowling Vishmi around her legs after the batter had shuffled a long way across.
India could have had another wicket but wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, standing up to debutant pacer Kranti Goud, could not hold to an edge from Athapaththu when she was on 25.
Kranti then missed a catch off her own bowling after Nilakshi's leading edge off a slower delivery.
However, soon after getting to her fifty, Athapaththu was bowled by Rana, who dropped the batter off her own bowling in her previous over.
With the required run rate mounting, the match was as good as over after Nilakshika's dismissal to Rana.
