The Supreme Court on Friday directed all states to implement 'in letter and spirit' the recommendations of the Shetty Commission report on higher pay-scales for judicial officers across the country.

A three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice V N Khare, Justice S Rajendra Babu and Justice M B Shah rejected all pleas by the states and the Center of financial constraints and at the same time refused to dilute the recommendations even a wee bit.

The bench asked the chief secretaries of 18 States to file affidavits within two weeks detailing the manner in which the recommendations are being carried out.

Attorney General Soli J Sorabjee submitted that the Union territories had implemented the Commission's recommendations 'substantially', but sought the court's approval of the 'little changes' made in the recommendations and in its implementation.

Amicus Curiae [permitted by the court to advise it in respect to some matter of law that directly affects the case in question] and senior advocate Fali S Nariman stated that the court has adopted a tough stand towards the states and the Union government should not be shown any leniency to 'go behind the judgment of the court'.

The bench gave time of ten weeks to the government to file an affidavit in this regard.

Nariman said the curt should now take up the issue of increasing the judges' strength in the country, which at present was also pending before a Parliament Committee.

The Law Commission, citing the Judges' strength in other countries, had suggested to the government that the present strength of 13,000 judges was wholly inadequate to handle the judicial system and speed up the delivery of justice.

It had said to negate the effect of 'Justice delayed is Justice denied', the present judges to population ratio must be raised from 10 judges per million to 50 judges per million.

The states and the Center had argued that in the wake of the payment of higher salaries for the judicial officers, the increase in the judges would only cast a heavy burden on the exchequer.