SC dismisses PIL seeking to increase judges' retirement age

The Supreme Court on Friday declined a plea seeking to raise the retirement age of the apex court judges asking the petitioner if he wanted the judges to continue for ever.

"Do you want us to continue (as judges) for ever," Chief Justice T.S. Thakur asked petitioner Vibhor Anand, pointing out to him that the provisions he was relying upon concerned the determination of judges' age in the event of any doubt and not their retirement age.

The bench, which also had Justice R. Banumathi and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, told Anand that the age of a judge was different from their retirement age which was prescribed under the constitution.

Clause 2 of the constitution's article 124 says: "Every judge of the Supreme Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal after consultation with such of the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts in the States as the President may deem necessary for the purpose and shall hold office until he attains the age of sixty-five years."

The unimpressed bench dismissed the petition as withdrawn.