""There may well be, particularly now, a movement to have age limits or term limits for judges," said retired federal judge Nancy Gertner, senior lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, at the event sponsored by the Petrie-Flom Center. "They exist everywhere else in the world and in the majority of states. The Supreme Court's lack of either an age limit or a term limit is really unusual.""
"Questions about the graying of the nation's leaders became a major campaign issue in recent elections, most notably in the races for the nation's commander in chief. Former president Joe Biden was 82 at the end of his presidency, and Donald Trump, at 78, became the oldest person to be inaugurated as president for his second term."
"Both Republicans in the Senate and Democrats in the House were led until recently by octogenarians; Republican Senator Mitch O'Connell announced his retirement on his 83rd birthday, and Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi will be 86 at the end of her term in 2027. The average age of a member of Congress is about 59."
Mandatory retirement ages exist in many professions, but federal judges and lawmakers generally lack such limits, allowing many to serve into their 70s and 80s. Concerns over cognitive decline among aging leaders and jurists have increased. Recent presidents, congressional leaders, and several Supreme Court justices have been in their 70s or 80s. The average age of a member of Congress is about 59, and the average age of U.S. federal judges was 67.68 in 2024. A majority of Americans express support for age limits for elected officials and justices.
Read at Harvard Gazette
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