Kingston v. McLaughlin

On November 7, 1972, the voters of Massachusetts approved an amendment to the Commonwealth’s constitution which requires state judges attaining the age of seventy to retire. Eleven judges over seventy, who have been sitting prior to the adoption of the amendment, but who are now threatened with involuntary retirement, bring this action seeking to enjoin the enforcement of the constitutional amendment against them.

The judges argue that the amendment constitutes an unconstitutional impairment of the obligation of contract in violation of Article 1, Section 10, Clause 1 of the United States…