The Lagos State House of Assembly has begun moves to increase the mandatory retirement age of magistrates in the state from 60 to 65 years.
The proposal is contained in the Magistrate Courts Amendment Bill 2026, which passed its second reading during plenary on Monday.
The bill seeks to retain experienced judicial officers, improve their welfare and working conditions, and prevent disruptions to cases caused by the retirement of magistrates handling ongoing matters.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC, Oladipo Ajomale, said Lagos had invested significantly in training and developing magistrates and should retain their expertise within the justice system.
Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, also said age should not be the only factor determining whether a judicial officer remains in service, stressing the importance of competence and capacity to continue performing effectively.
The bill has now been referred to the relevant House committee for further consideration and is expected to return to the Assembly after the committee completes its review.