The High Court and the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017 has been introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Union Law Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad on 21st December 2017.
Presently the Chief Justice of India gets a salary of Rs. 1,00.000/- along with a rent-free accommodation and a sumptuary allowance of Rs. 20,000/-. The aforesaid bill would revise the salary of CJI to Rs. 2,80,000/- and sumptuary allowance to Rs. 45,000/-. Likewise, presently the salary of a Supreme Court Judge is Rs. 90,000/- which would be revised to Rs. 2,50,000/- and sumptuary allowance from Rs. 15,000/- to Rs. 34,000/-.
The salary of a Chief Justice of a High Court is similar to that of the Supreme Court Judge and his salary is revised from Rs. 90,000/- to Rs. 2,50,000/- and sumptuary allowance from Rs. 15,000/- to Rs. 34,000/-.
The salary of the Judges of the High Court is also revised from Rs. 80,000/- to Rs. 2,25,000/- and sumptuary allowance from Rs. 12,000/- to Rs. 27,000/-.
The maximum pension that a Judge can get is also revised. For the Chief Justice of India, the Maximum pension has been revised from Rs. 6,00,000/- to Rs. 16,80,000/-; for a judge of the Supreme Court from Rs. 5,40,000/- to Rs. 15,00,000/-; for the Chief Justice of a High Court from Rs. 5,40,000/- to Rs. 15,00,000/- and for a Judge of the High Court from Rs. 4,80,000/- to Rs. 13,50,000/-.
Furthermore, if the Judges of the High Court or the Supreme Court do no avail the rent free accommodation, they shall be paid 24% of their salary as compared to the previous 30%, subject to:
- If the Dearness Allowance crosses 25%, then 27% of the salary to be paid
- If the Dearness Allowance crosses 50%, then 30% of the salary to be paid
Sumptuary allowance is an allowance that is paid to the Judges of High Court and Supreme Court for the expenses that they incur while entertaining visitors.
The above changes can be summarized in a table as follows:
| Salary (Rs.) | Sumptuary Allowance (Rs.) | Maximum Pension (Rs.) | ||||
| Before | After | Before | After | Before | After | |
| Chief Justice of India | 1,00.000 | 2,80,000 | 20,000 | 45,000 | 6,00,000 | 16,80,000 |
| Supreme Court Judge | 90,000 | 2,50,000 | 15,000 | 34,000. | 5,40,000 | 15,00,000 |
| Chief Justice of High Court | 90,000 | 2,50,000 | 15,000 | 34,000 | 5,40,000 | 15,00,000 |
| High Court Judge | 80,000 | 2,25,000 | 12,000 | 27,000 | 4,80,000 | 13,50,000 |
Click here to read the amendment bill.
