Supreme Court Says Judicial Officers Can Get Extra Pay for LL.M Along with ACP Benefits!

The Supreme Court has ruled that judicial officers receiving Annual Career Progression (ACP) benefits are also entitled to an additional increment for obtaining an LL.M degree.

A judicial officer from Manipur sought clarification in the All India Judges Association case on whether higher qualification increments apply at each ACP stage.

The Court referred to its January 2024 ruling and the State of Maharashtra v. Tejwant Singh Sandhu (2022) case, rejecting the argument that ACP recipients should be denied LLM-based increments.

The Court said that ACP helps avoid stagnation, and getting extra qualifications like an LL.M improves performance.

So, judicial officers will still get increments for an LL.M, even if they already receive ACP benefits.