The National Assembly has transmitted to the president a bill seeking a uniform age of retirement for judicial officers in the country.

The bill seeks to extend the retirement age of High Court justices from 65 years to 70 years.

The bill according to both chambers was part of 46 constitution alteration bills transmitted to States Houses of Assembly for concurrence in March last year but not part of the 35 that secured the required concurrence from 24 out of 36 States Houses of Assembly.

Information on meeting up of requirement for final passage and transmission of the bill to the president, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retd.) for assent, was given to senators on tuesday during plenary by Ovie Omo – Agege in his capacity as chairman, Senate’s ad-hoc committee on Constitution review.

Omo – Agege in his presentation to that effect said the approval of Sokoto State House of Assembly, to the Constitution amendment bill No 20 (Uniform Retirement Age for Judicial Officers) has met the provisions of Section 9(2) of the Constitution for passage.

He added that Sokoto State House of Assembly was among the States Houses of Assembly that were yet to forward their resolution, others are Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Plateau, Sokoto and Taraba States Houses of Assembly.

The Senate accordingly directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to transmit the bill to the president for his assent in line with provisions of the acts authentication act.

The transmission of the bill on “uniform retirement age for judicial officers” by the national assembly to president Buhari, brings the total number of transmitted constitution amendment bills to 37 , out of which 19 were earlier rejected and 16 signed into law by the president.

Credit: Punch