By Ebunoluwa Sessou
The Lagos State House of Assembly has commenced moves to improve the welfare and working conditions of magistrates in the state, with lawmakers considering an extension of their retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

The House, at plenary on Monday, gave second reading to the Magistrate Courts Amendment Bill 2026, which seeks to strengthen the magistracy, retain experienced judicial officers and improve the administration of justice in Lagos State.

The proposed amendment is also expected to promote continuity in cases before the courts and prevent disruptions that could arise from the retirement of magistrates handling ongoing matters.

Leading the debate on the bill, Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC, Mr. Oladipo Ajomale, said the proposed amendment was aimed at strengthening the magistracy, improving the conditions of service of magistrates and enhancing justice administration in the state.

Ajomale noted that the state had invested significantly in the training and professional development of magistrates, stressing that improved welfare and working conditions were necessary to retain the expertise acquired by judicial officers within the system.

He advocated raising the retirement age of magistrates from 60 to 65, arguing that allowing experienced judicial officers to retire at 60 could lead to the loss of valuable knowledge and expertise at a time when their experience remained crucial to the justice system.

According to him, magistrates handle a substantial volume of cases involving ordinary citizens, making their experience and continuity particularly important.

He further explained that the retirement of a magistrate while handling an ongoing case could cause delays and, in some instances, requires proceedings to begin afresh.

Contributing to the debate, Mr. Bonu Solomon called for more research into the working conditions of magistrates and improved welfare packages for judicial officers in the state.

Bonu said magistrates were often confronted with heavy workloads, noting that some reportedly handled more than 100 cases in a single day.

He stressed that the pressure associated with such workloads required greater attention from the House, particularly in the areas of welfare and working conditions.

The lawmaker maintained that improved welfare would motivate magistrates to discharge their responsibilities more effectively and ultimately contribute to faster and more efficient justice delivery in the state.

In his remarks, Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, said the retirement age of magistrates should not be determined solely by age but should also take into consideration their competence, capacity and ability to continue performing their duties effectively.

Obasa observed that many people above the age of 60 remained active and productive, arguing that competent magistrates should be allowed to continue serving, while those who could no longer perform effectively should retire.

Following the debate, the Speaker committed the bill to the House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC for further deliberation.

The committee was directed to consider the proposed amendments and submit its report to the House within one week.