President Bola Tinubu has signed the bill on uniform retirement age for judicial officers into law. The bill, titled “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) (No. 37) Bill, 2023,” was signed on Thursday, making it the first bill signed by President Tinubu since assuming office on May 29.
This move extends the retirement age of high court judges and others from 65 to 70 years, aligning with the existing retirement age of justices of the appeal and supreme courts, which is already set at 70.
Abiodun Oladunjoye, the State House Director of Information, released a statement wherein the President expressed his commitment to strengthening the judiciary and empowering judicial officers. President Tinubu’s administration is determined to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the judiciary by supporting its officers.
Notably, the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, had urged former President Muhammadu Buhari to reject the bill. Malami argued that its approval could lead to additional demands for extending the retirement age of justices of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. He further claimed that the bill was excessively broad and lacked clarity, providing no sufficient rationale for the extension of retirement age and associated benefits for judges.
By signing this bill into law, uniformity has been achieved in the pension rights of judicial officers serving in the “superior courts of record” as specified in Section 6(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This step marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to enhance the Nigerian judicial system and secure the welfare of its officers.
