Tinubu Signs Into Law Bill Raising Judges’ Retirement Age
President Bola Tinubu, in his first act of legislation as the newly elected President, has approved a significant constitutional amendment bill that aims to establish consistency in the retirement age and pension rights of judicial officers.
In an official statement titled ‘President Tinubu Enacts Constitutional Amendment Bill for Uniformity in Retirement Age of Judicial Officers,’ issued by Abiodun Oladunjoye, the State House Director of Information, it was announced that the President signed the bill into law at the State House on Thursday.
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In a statement issued by Abiodun Oladunjoye, the state house’s director of information, the president vowed that his administration would empower and strengthen the judiciary.
“Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 (fifth alteration) (No.37) bill, 2023” was the first bill signed by President Tinubu after he took the oath of office on May 29.
The law increases the mandatory retirement age for high court judges and others from 65 to 70 years old.
Justices of the appeal and supreme courts are already required to retire at age 70.
The legislation also standardized the pension rights of judicial officers of “superior courts of record” as defined in section 6(5) of the amended constitution of 1999.
On May 2, the national assembly instructed its clerk, Amos Ojo, to send the bill to former President Muhammadu Buhari for approval.
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Recall that the former attorney general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, advised President Buhari not to sign the bill.
In a memo dated 23 May and sent to the office of the president’s chief of staff, Malami stated that the bill appeared “far-reaching, overly broad, and ambiguous” and that it lacked “justification” for the extension of the retirement age and benefits for judges.
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The former attorney general stated that if the bill is passed, it could lead to additional calls for the extension of the retirement age for supreme court and court of appeal justices.
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