Lord Neuberger calls for judicial retirement age of 75 to stem recruitment crisis

The President of the Supreme Court has said judges should be able to serve until the age of 75 to stem the current recruitment crisis, The Times reports.

Speaking to the Lords Constitution Committee, Lord Neuberger, 69, who is due to retire in July, said he had called for the limit to be reverted to 75 after it was lowered.

He said: “I have been for some time pressing for changes to the age limit.

“It’s a bit odd that it’s being reduced at the time retirement ages elsewhere are going up. And the problem of recruitment means that if you are going to get first-class , they are probably going to be rather older than at present.”

Bob Neill, committee chairman, urged the Ministry of Justice to “revisit the retirement age for senior judiciary, which, at 70, runs against the behaviour of much of society and our economy”.

Lord Neuberger expressed concern about the increase in “refuseniks” last month — advocates who are refusing to move to the bench because of misgivings about pay and the treatment of judges — saying “it could become a real problem if it continues”, adding: “The concern is not only that it will undermine one of the two fundamental pillars of our society, the rule of law, if we do not have a first class judiciary. It is also because a first class judiciary underpins the whole financial and professional services industries which are so vital to the fortunes of this country, perhaps particularly in the post-Brexit world.”