AdhivaktaVani

He spoke at an event on Saturday in Mumbai

06 Jul 2025

Justice Dipankar Datta, judge of the Supreme Court of India, has highlighted the shortage of judges in the Bombay High Court and asked them to maintain a proper work-life balance without compromising on health. He spoke at an event on Saturday in Mumbai where Chief Justice of India B R Gavai was felicitated.

Dwelling upon the shortage of judges in the Bombay High Court, Justice Datta pointed out that in 2013, the number increased from 75 to 94. “However, it was only once between 2013 and 2020 that the Bombay High Court touched 75. It has never touched 75 again, leave alone 94,” he said.

The former Chief Justice of the Bombay HC also stressed the importance of maintaining a proper work-life balance and not compromising one’s health for the sake of work. “Do you think, you 68 to 70 judges will be able to do the work of 90 judges, you cannot…in fact you are doing a great disservice to yourself, family and everyone who depends on you,” he remarked.

“So, please divide your time between personal and professional…give time to your family, because if anything happens to you, for one month there will be sympathisers, but after one month no one will remember your service,” he added.

He also urged for an amendment in the rules for the limit of the electricity units that judges are entitled to. The allowance of 10,000 units of electricity is “not sufficient” in the present times, as when it was fixed about 40 years ago, there were no air conditioners, microwave ovens, washing machines, dish washers, etc, Justice Datta said. He requested CJI Gavai to bring an amendment to increase the limit.

Similarly, he proposed that fuel allowances be changed to 2,400 litres a year, instead of 200 litres per month. “We get 200 litres per month, sometimes during vacation we are not there, we don’t utilise the 200 litres and it goes back to the government. We don’t get anything in return,” he stated.

So, the proposal to make it 2,400 litres a year is “very reasonable” as it doesn’t cost the government anything more than it is spending now, Justice Datta said. He said both these proposals were turned down in the past, and appealed to the CJI to reconsider them.