Metro

Shel’s court ‘favor’

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is pushing a constitutional amendment that would allow his longtime pal, Court of Appeals Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, to serve an additional eight years on the bench, The Post has learned.

The measure, which received the required second passage in the Assembly last week and is expected to receive similar action in the Senate, would amend the state Constitution by raising the mandatory retirement age of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges from 70 to 80.

If the age requirement isn’t raised, Lippman, widely seen as a politically pliant jurist beholden to Silver, would have to leave the bench at the end of 2015.

Wags around the state Capitol are calling Silver’s proposal “Jonathan’s Law.”

While governors appoint chief judges, they don’t have a say in the approval of a constitutional amendment.

So if “Jonathan’s Law” wins approval in the Legislature, as is expected, it will go to the voters in November — but with no disclosure that Silver’s friend Lippman would benefit.

Lippman, who will turn 70 in May 2015, was named chief judge at Silver’s urging by Gov. David Paterson in 2009, despite limited courtroom experience.

Approving the amendment would allow Lippman to serve until 2023 because the normal term for a Court of Appeals judge who doesn’t reach retirement age is 14 years.

Judicial observers noted efforts had been made for more than 20 years to get the Legislature to hike the retirement age, but it wasn’t until Lippman was named chief judge that Silver showed any interest.

Silver claimed last week that the amendment was aimed at eliminating “an outdated provision” in the Constitution that forced too many judges to retire.

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Gov. Cuomo’s chief spokesman is flatly denying Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s weekend claim to have helped persuade Cuomo to again delay the decision on permitting hydrofracking in the Southern Tier.

“No conversations the governor has with anyone have any impact on the Health and Environmental Conservation departments’ decision-making process,” said Josh Vlasto, referring to the agencies Cuomo expects will issue a report on fracking in a few weeks.

Kennedy, an environmental activist and investor in “green” business, is Cuomo’s ex-brother-in-law.

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Recently elected Rochester-area Assemblyman Bill Nojay is laying much of the blame for the collapse of the New York GOP at the feet of Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos.

In a rare break with party unity, Nojay described Skelos to The Post as “a failed leader” and declared, “He has to go.”

“Dean Skelos has repeatedly failed to defend Republican values and assist his fellow Republicans running for office, whether it’s his supporting a $2 billion tax hike, how he handled gay marriage, and now the gun issue,” Nojay said.

He said he spoke last week to three Republican senators, including two from Skelos’ base on Long Island, who said “they’re ready to vote against Skelos as their leader.” Nojay refused to name names.

fdicker@nypost.com