The following is a list of justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court which are broken down by pre- and post-statehood appointments.
Historically, only three individuals have declined appointment to the Court which all occurred during the Provincial Congress period: William Reed in 1775, Robert Treat Paine in 1776, and James Warren in 1777.
In the modern era, mandatory retirement has been a requirement when a given justice reaches the age of 70.
This has been in place since 1976 when Chief Justice G. Joseph Tauro stepped down.