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. Justices initially served a lifetime role until (in most cases) they either died or resigned. In the modern era, mandatory retirement has been a requirement when a given justice reaches the age of 70. This practice has been in place since 1976 when Chief Justice G. Joseph Tauro stepped down.