"Raising the retirement age will help the judiciary function better and it will not cost the government much," Jaitley, a former law minister at the Centre, said delivering the Justice B K Ray memorial lecture here.
The soaring number of cases pending before the high courts and the apex court can be effectively handled if the retirement age of judges is raised, he said, adding that more number of judges would also play a significant role in ensuring their better functioning.
The problem relating to huge number of pending cases can also be tackled by filling up the vacancies in the courts as per the suggestions made by National Law Commission, Jaitley said during the lecture, organised here last night in memory of the first Chief Justice of Orissa High Court.
Proposing for a relook at the existing method of appointment of judges of the Supreme court and high courts, Jaitley, himself a senior SC lawyer, said there should be a national debate on the recruitment of judges.
In order to attract best talents, it would be proper to bring about reforms in the judiciary so that more people are inclined to become judges, said the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha.