JSC extends retirement age

Source: The Herald – Breaking news.

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 Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi

Farirai Machivenyika, Senior Reporter

THE Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has extended the retirement age of judicial officers from 65 to 70 years as contained in Statutory Instrument 42 of 2025 cited as Judicial Service (Amendment) Regulations, 2025 (No. 3) published last Friday.

The extension was done with the concurrence of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, in terms of provisions of the Judicial Service Act.

The regulations shall come into effect on May 1.

“Subject to section 17(Judicial Service Act), a member appointed on pensionable terms of service – (a) before the effective date, may have a pensionable age of 65 years with the option to retire at 70 on full pension: Provided that any retirement after the year of the 65th anniversary and before the 70th anniversary shall be deemed to be early retirement; or (b) on or after the effective date, shall have a pensionable age of 70 years,” reads part of the SI.

The new regulations direct the Paymaster to, on June 1, each year, provide the JSC with a list of members who will reach the age of 65 or 70 years during the ensuing year.

“The Commission may, when it is in the interest of the JSC to do so, permit a member whose pensionable age is 65 to continue to serve beyond the age of 65 for periods not exceeding one year at a time, provided that such member shall retire at the age of 70 years.

The new regulations also provide for circumstances where a member of the JSC may retire before reaching retirement age.

“A member may, on giving three months’ notice of retirement, be permitted by the Commission to retire before pensionable age at any time after attaining the age of 60.”

The JSC may also require a member to retire if, after having undergone a medical examination by a medical board appointed by the Secretary for Health, such member is found permanently unfit to carry out the duties of his or her post or if he or she becomes inefficient or incapable, for a reason other than mental or physical deficiency or infirmity, of efficiently performing his or her duties among other factors.