Photo © 2003 AAP One/Dean Lewins

The NSW government has reportedly rejected a request for judges to continue working until they are 75 years old.

The state's judiciary had been prosecuting a behind-the-scenes case to raise the mandatory retirement age from 72, according to News Ltd.

But NSW Attorney-General Greg Smith ruled against the request after being advised that younger judges may hold "more contemporary social attitudes".

According to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by The Daily Telegraph, the push was rejected on several grounds, including an increased risk that a judge could refuse to leave despite being unable to do their job.

Seniors groups have labelled such a decision as discriminatory. In an interview to The Daily Telegraph, National Seniors Australia chief Michael O'Neill said the matter should be performance based, adding: "It is very harsh, out of touch and discriminatory - we have laws banning age discrimination."

-with AAP