(a) Any judge of a superior court of this state who is in at least his nineteenth year of service as a judge of a superior court of this state, any service as district attorney of a judicial circuit, as a judge of or solicitor of a city or county court of this state, or membership in the General Assembly or service in the armed forces of the United States occasioned by the national emergencies of World War I, World War II, or the Korean Conflict, or assistant district attorney or district attorney pro tem. as herein provided, being allowable in computing such 19 years' service, provided at least one complete term or its equivalent number of years in two or more terms have been served as judge of a superior court of this state or who has already been in service for 19 years as a judge of a superior court of this state on March 9, 1945, and who is still in service as such officer, shall be eligible for appointment at his pleasure and shall be eligible to receive the benefits now or hereafter offered judges of the superior courts, provided that the General Assembly retirement service credit shall be for the entire term of office to which such person was elected and served.

(b) Any judge of a superior court of this state qualifying under any one of the following provisions shall be eligible to retire at his pleasure and shall be eligible to receive one-half of the salary now or hereafter paid to judges of the superior courts by the state:

(1) He has reached the age of 65 years and has completed ten years of service as a judge of the superior courts of this state, as distinguished from creditable service, and has for the period of his service as such judge made payments to the fund at the rate herein specified, and has been appointed under this chapter as a senior judge of the superior courts, as provided in Code Section 47-8-40; or

(2) Any judge of a superior court of this state who has been in service as a judge of the superior court for at least ten years and who becomes disabled from continuing his duties as judge of the superior court and who shall have attained the age of 62 years, satisfactory evidence of such disability having been presented to the board of trustees and a recommendation of appointment having been made by a majority of the board.