Supreme Court nominee Justice Senyo Dzamefe has made it clear that he does not support calls to review the retirement age for judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal from 70 to 75.

Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee for vetting on Monday, 16 June, Justice Dzamefe said he strongly believes the current retirement age of 70 should be maintained.

“I will not agree with sending the retirement ages of Supreme Court or Appeal Court judges to 75. No,” he said. “The retirement age as at now is 70. Superior court judges retire on their salaries.”

He explained that traditionally, age and experience were important factors in judicial work, but technology has changed 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,” he said.

“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,” he explained. “So personally, my opinion is to keep it at 70. That is my opinion, not 75.”

Justice Dzamefe also shared his view that judges should retire while still strong and in good health so they can continue to serve the justice system in other 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,” he added.

“So I think we maintain it at the 70 as at now. That is my opinion,” he said.