Termination Revoked, But No Salary for That Period, Know Why Supreme Court Said So

Supreme Court: Justice BV Nagarathna of the Supreme Court said on Tuesday that judges often feel guilty of receiving salaries without working during court vacations.

Justice BV Nagarathna of the Supreme Court said on Tuesday that judges often feel guilty of receiving salaries without working during court vacations. They feel bad about getting paid during summer breaks, as they know they didn’t work during that time. This comment was made while rejecting the plea of four civil judges from Madhya Pradesh who were seeking salaries for the period of their termination, which was later revoked by the Supreme Court.

Termination of Four Judges from MP Revoked

During the hearing of a case related to the termination of six civil judges from Madhya Pradesh, Amicus Curiae Gaurav Agarwal informed the court that the High Court had revoked the termination of four judges. Senior Advocate R. Basant then requested the court to grant salaries to these four judges for the period of their termination.

Supreme Court Refuses to Grant Salaries for That Period

Justice Nagarathna clarified that since the civil judges did not work during their termination period, they were not entitled to salaries. Our conscience does not allow it. The bench directed the Madhya Pradesh High Court to issue orders for the reinstatement of the four judges soon.

Debate on Vacations in Courts

It is worth noting that the winter and summer vacations in the Supreme Court and High Courts have been a topic of debate in the public domain. Many question the need for vacations in these courts, given the large number of pending cases, arguing that they should not have vacations like other government offices. On the other hand, a large section of judges, including Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, support the idea of vacations, saying that judges work on court cases even during their holidays.