Report No. 230

Age of retirement

1.6 When we adopted and gave to ourselves the Constitution in 1949, the retirement age of Judges was fixed at 60 years for High Courts and 65 years for the Supreme Court. For the High Court Judges, 60 years was increased to 62 years in 1963. At that time the normal life expectancy was about 60 years. With the changes in social and financial set-up as well as medical facilities, the present normal life expectancy is about 70 years.

Barring few exceptions, a person is fit and fine at the age of 62 or even 65 years. In our country, except for the judges, the retirement age in some quasi-judicial bodies has been increased. The retirement age in different tribunals has now been increased to 70 for chairmen and 65 for members. In the circumstances, the constitutional provisions need a change for enhancing the age of retirement of High Court and Supreme Court Judges at least by three years.