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There is remarkably little agreement internationally as to the appropriate retirement age of judges for the highest court in the land.
Here, with the new Supreme Court, the age will be 70 for new recruits, although the evidently hardier incumbents will be allowed to continue to 75. The Australian High Court also prescribes (by virtue of a consititional provision no less) a retirement age of 70 for all judges. Meanwhile the Canadian Supreme Court sets the retirement age at 75 and the Indian Supreme Court (where there are no less than 31 justices), 65. By contrast, neither the New Zealand nor the United States Supreme Courts have any retirement age at all.
The oldest justice in the US Supreme Court, Justice Stevens, is now 87 and has been a member of the Court for 34 years. He succeeed Justice Douglas who had served 36 years and was retiring at the tender age of 77.
Lord Pannick has been arguing for some time that 70 is far too early for Supreme Court Justices to retire business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article5969902.ece However, when he raised the matter in the House of Lords the government stood firm www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldhansrd/text/90325-0001.htm
