Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer says he’s in favor of age limits for justices.
In an interview that aired Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” the 85-year-old jurist suggested more than a decade-long term is reasonable, and would have helped him in his own decision to retire.
“I don’t think that’s harmful,” he said of a double-digit term.
“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,” he continued. “I don’t think that would be harmful.”
“I think it would have helped, in my case,” he asserted. “It would have avoided, for me, going through difficult decisions when you retire. What’s the right time? And so, that would be okay.”
Age limits and term limits are at the forefront of debate as liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor reportedly faces pressure from Democrats to retire.
