21 SC judges retd since ’08, 18 in govt panels

Bureaucrats aren't the only ones to continue in government post-retirement. Of the 21 judges to have retired from the Supreme Court since January 2008, 18 got jobs in different government commissions and tribunals. A majority still continue in these positions.

In many cases, judges accepted post-retirement appointments much before they formally demitted office — at least three of them when they still had many months of service left — shows data collected by The Indian Express. In many cases, the names were recommended by the Chief Justice himself. Judges of the Supreme Court retire when they reach the age of 65 years.

Consider this: Justice Dalveer Bhandari was elected a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a posting based in The Hague, about five months before he was to demit office on September 30, 2012. In order to take up his new assignment, he quit a few months before his actual retirement date.

Justice Mukundakam Sharma retired on September 18, 2011. At least four months prior to that, he got clearance for his next job, chairperson of the Central government-appointed Vansadhara Water Dispute Tribunal. The post had fallen vacant suddenly after Justice B N Agrawal resigned.

Justice Ashok Bhan, who retired on October 2, 2008, was immediately appointed chairperson of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission for a five-year term, a job for which he had been selected before his retirement.

Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly, who retired on February 3 this year, is the chairperson of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission since March. while Justice Markandey Katju, who retired on September 20, 2011, was appointed chairperson of the Press Council of India on October 5, 2011.

Justice V S Sirpurkar, who retired on August 21, 2011, is now chairman of the Competition Appellate Tribunal of India while Justice J M Panchal, who retired on October 5, 2011, is head of the tribunal set up to resolve the Mahadayi river water dispute between Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.

... contd.

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