Supreme Court nominee Justice Senyo Dzamefe has expressed his opposition for the review of the retirement age for judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal from 70 to 75.
During his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, 16 June, Justice Dzamefe argued that the current age must be maintained.
“I will not agree with sending the retirement ages of Supreme Court or Appeal Court judges to 75. No. The retirement age as at now is 70. Superior court judges retire on their salaries,” he stated.
While acknowledging the importance of age and experience in judicial work, Justice Dzamefe lamented that advancements in technology have shifted that reality.
“Formally, you need to be advanced in age to get the experience and the exposure so that when you give judgment, it is respected. It is a solid judgment because you’re adding personal experience to the legal knowledge you have.
“But of late, technology has made it such that what you needed 60 or 70 years to know, technology can make it available to you very early. So personally, my opinion is to keep it at 70. That is my opinion, not 75,” he explained.
Justice Dzamefe further argued that judges should retire while still strong and healthy, allowing them to contribute in other meaningful ways.
“I want judges to retire very healthy, and then we can use them for other purposes, like assessors. They can help the judiciary or the service in other forms, like helping to filter out cases. So I think we maintain it at the 70 as at now. That is my opinion,” he said.
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