65 Years Too Early An Age For Someone To Retire : CJI NV Ramana

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said on Monday that 65 years is too early an age for someone to retire.

"I think 65 years is too early an age for someone to retire," CJI Ramana, who is due to retire on August 27 this year, said. He was speaking at an online conversation on Comparative Constitutional Law with Justice Stephen Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Mr.William M. Treanor, Dean & Executive Vice President, Georgetown University Law Center, was the moderator of the discussion.

The CJI made this comment towards the end of the conversation, responding to a query on retirement. It is relevant to note that there have been calls from many quarters for raising the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts.  The Attorney General for India KK Venugopal has raised on many occasions the suggestion to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court judges. The AG has also suggested that there should be at least 3 years tenure for the CJI. The CJI's comments assumed a particular relevance in the light of the fact that there is no fixed retirement age for US Supreme Court judges.

"In the Indian judiciary, at the time of joining we know our date of retirement. There are no exceptions. As for me, I am still left with decent amount of energy. I am a son of an agriculturalist. I am still left with some land to cultivate," CJI Ramana said.

When asked about post-retirement plans, the CJI said that he is too busy to think about the same now; he however added that retirement from judiciary does not mean a retirement from public life for him. "I am basically a man of people. I love to be among the people. It has been my nature since my student days.I hope I will find the right avenue to invest my energy for the sake of people," he said.

"One thing I can say for certain is that retirement from the judiciary does not mean that I will retire from public life.I am too busy currently to think about my post retirement plan," he added.

During the session, CJI Ramana and Justice Breyer exchanged their thoughts on many important topics such as judges appointment process, separation of powers, judicial independence, PIL jurisdiction , etc. Detailed report about the discussion to be published.

The video of the event can be watched here.