Overview

• A division bench of Justices A. S. Supehia and L. S. Pirzada dismissed former ad hoc sessions judge J. K. Acharya’s petition challenging his 2016 compulsory retirement.
• The order holds that even one uncommunicated adverse entry or any doubt about integrity is sufficient to retire a judicial officer in the public interest.
• The bench clarified that promotions or higher pay scales do not shield an officer from compulsory retirement.
• The judgment defers to the full court’s collective assessment, permitting judicial review only for patent illegality, procedural prejudice, or gross disproportionality.
• Citing Supreme Court guidance, the court reaffirmed stringent ethical expectations for judges and noted that confidential evaluations may rely on general reputation without specific, tangible proof.