Stephen Breyer Sounds Off On Supreme Court Term Limits, Age Limits For Justices

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I’ve said, and I think it’s true, I don’t think that’s harmful. If you had long terms, for example, they’d have to be long. Why long? Because I don’t think you want someone who’s appointed to the Supreme Court to be thinking about his next job. And so, a 20-year term? I don’t know, 18-long term? Fine. Fine. I don’t think that would be harmful. I think it would have helped, in my case. It would have avoided, for me, going through difficult decisions when you retire – What’s the right time? And so, that would be okay.

— Justice Stephen Breyer, who recently retired from the Supreme Court, in comments given during an episode of Meet the Press where he discussed age limits and term limits for the high court. Breyer went on to say that while he did miss being on the bench, “[O]ther people also should have a chance at these jobs. And, at some point, you’re just not going to be able to do it.”

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Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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Courts, Quote of the Day, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court