Supreme Court Clarifies State Responsibility for Medical Benefits of Retired High Court Judges

The Supreme Court has mandated that retired High Court judges' medical expenses be covered by the State where they were first appointed or last served.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan warned States of contempt proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1981, for non-compliance with uniform post-retirement medical benefits.

The Court emphasized that benefits must include cashless treatment, reimbursements for private hospital care without prior approval, and coverage for out-of-state treatments

States are required to submit updated compliance affidavits within a week. The matter, pending since 2015, is scheduled for the next hearing on April 29, 2025.