Supreme Court Directs Seven States to Raise District Judges' Retirement Age from 60 to 62

4 September 2026National

The Supreme Court of India on 4 September 2026 directed seven consenting states to amend their judicial service rules and raise the retirement age of district judges from 60 to 62 years. The move addresses chronic vacancies and mounting pendency in the subordinate judiciary by retaining experienced judicial officers for two more years. Under the Constitution, High Court judges retire at 62 and Supreme Court judges at 65, while district judiciary service conditions are governed by state rules framed under Articles 233–235, which vest control of subordinate courts in the High Courts.

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The Supreme Court of India was established on 28 January 1950 and sits in New Delhi; Article 124 provides for its constitution | Article 233 deals with the appointment of district judges by the Governor in consultation with the High Court | The Supreme Court currently has a sanctioned strength of 34 judges including the Chief Justice of India

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