Professional services firms that have mandatory retirement policies are discriminatory and in breach of the Quebec Charter, held Quebec Superior Court in a ruling that has the legal community buzzing over its implications.
Two municipal judges who sought to stay on the bench beyond the retirement age of 70 lost their legal battle after Quebec Superior Court held that a mandatory retirement age for provincially-nominated magistrates is not discriminatory and is necessary to preserve judicial independence.
Canadian law firms are struggling to come to grips with the changing demographics and are slow, if not reluctant, to deal with retirement as a firm issue.