In a landmark judgment aimed at upholding the autonomy of the judiciary, the Supreme Court of India has ruled against administrative interference in the ‘Special Incremental Rate’ (SIR) process for judicial officers in West Bengal. Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud has directed the Calcutta High Court to constitute one or more specialized tribunals to handle these matters, stripping bureaucrats of their power to review judicial orders.

The decision came after intense arguments by senior advocate and TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, who questioned the authority of District Education Officers (DEOs) or Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) in overseeing the files of judicial officers. “How can a bureaucrat scrutinize the orders of a judicial officer? If a DEO cannot see it, how can a CEO? They are both administrators,” Banerjee argued. The Supreme Court upheld this stance, emphasizing that judicial orders should not be subject to the whims of the executive branch.

The formation of these tribunals will now ensure that salary increments, SIR benefits, and other administrative files related to judges are managed internally by the High Court’s judicial mechanism. Legal experts see this as a significant step toward preserving the independence of the judiciary from state bureaucracy. This ruling is expected to expedite long-pending financial settlements for judicial officers in Bengal, ensuring that their professional benefits are governed by their peers rather than government officials.