🏛️ NPP Lawyers Back Proposed Judicial Retirement Age Reforms

Lawyers for Public Mandate (LPM), affiliated with the National People’s Power (NPP), have defended proposed constitutional amendments to raise judicial retirement ages, aiming to address judge shortages and reduce court case backlogs. • Proposed Retirement Age Revisions: • Supreme Court: Raised to 67 (from 65) • Chief Justice: Serves until 67 or max 6 years from appointment • Court of Appeal: Raised to 65 (from 63) • High Court: Raised to 63 (from 61) • Magistrates & District Judges: Raised to 62 (from 60) • Key Context & Rationale: • Addressing capacity issues: Only 93 of 110 approved High Court positions are currently filled. • Part of the government's broader anti-corruption agenda and legal system reforms. • Aligns with international standards (e.g., Australia/Denmark at 70, Canada/Brazil at 75). • Dismissed claims that the move threatens judicial independence or targets individual benefits, attributing criticism to politicians facing unresolved corruption cases.