Judges and civil servants

A post-retirement job remains a grey area

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A striking similarity in statements made by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, just before he recently retired as chief justice of India, and his successor, Justice B R Gavai, is their emphasis on abjuring post-retirement assignments. It is unclear whether these suo motu positions were oblique criticisms of past chief justices, such as Justice Khanna's predecessor Justice D Y Chandrachud's defence of judges accepting post-retirement jobs in tribunals and similar institutions. Either way, both judges must be applauded for seeking to uphold a principle against a practice that may often raise ethical questions.