Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has assessed the potential merits of allowing magistrates to serve beyond the mandatory retirement age, subject to an assessment of their fitness and suitability to serve.

The mandatory retirement age applies to judicial office holders, including magistrates, and was increased from 70 to 75 in March 2022. The Government has no current plans to allow magistrates to serve beyond the mandatory retirement age. A consistent retirement age across the judiciary supports judicial independence and public confidence by avoiding the need for individual assessments of the health, fitness or suitability of judicial office holders.