Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 995 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to repeal the mandatory retirement age of seventy for all state judges and justices.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one individual.

Your Committee finds that the mandatory retirement age of seventy for all state judges and justices means that a number of highly qualified and extremely productive jurists were forced to retire from the bench for no other reason than they had attained the age of seventy. This mandatory retirement age has deprived the State of experienced, well-respected, and knowledgeable judges who are still able to make meaningful contributions to the practice of law and the administration of justice, even after they have attained the age of seventy and beyond.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 995 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.