Article VII.
Judiciary

Section 24. Judicial Qualifications and Retirement

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Justices and judges; eligibility for office; retirement

(1) To be eligible for the office of supreme court justice or judge of any court of record, a person must be an attorney licensed to practice law in this state and have been so licensed for 5 years immediately prior to election or appointment.
(2) Unless assigned temporary service under subsection (3), no person may serve as a supreme court justice or judge of a court of record beyond the July 31 following the date on which such person attains that age, of not less than 70 years, which the legislature shall prescribe by law.
(3) A person who has served as a supreme court justice or judge of a court of record may, as provided by law, serve as a judge of any court of record except the supreme court on a temporary basis if assigned by the chief justice of the supreme court.

Judicial Qualifications and Retirement

No person seventy years of age or over may take office as a supreme court justice or circuit judge. No person may take or hold such office unless he is licensed to practice law in this state and has been so licensed for five years immediately prior to his election or appointment. No supreme court justice or circuit judge may serve beyond the July 31 following the date on which he attains the age of seventy. A person who has served eight or more years as a supreme court justice or circuit judge may serve temporarily, on appointment by the chief justice of the supreme court or by any associate justice designated by the supreme court, as a judge of a circuit court, under such general laws as the legislature may enact.

Judicial Qualifications and Retirement

No person seventy years of age or over may take office as a supreme court justice or circuit judge. No person may take or hold such office unless he is licensed to practice law in this state and has been so licensed for five years immediately prior to his election or appointment. No supreme court justice or circuit judge may serve beyond the end of the month in which he attains the age of seventy, but any such justice or judge may complete the term in which he is serving or to which he has been elected when this section takes effect. Any person retired under the provisions of this section may, at the request of the chief justice of the supreme court, serve temporarily as a circuit judge and shall be compensated as the legislature provides. This section shall take effect on July first following the referendum at which it is approved.

Redlined Comparison between 1955 and 1968 Amendment

Removed from 1955 Added to 1968

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