The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has written to Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara regarding the proposed constitutional amendment to extend the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.
The BASL has requested that an appropriate committee be appointed to thoroughly study the proposal and submit a report on the matter before any further steps are taken.
The constitutional amendment proposal to extend the retirement age of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges, which the Government is reportedly preparing to introduce, has sparked a heated debate in society.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka and 65 judges of the Judicial Service Association, which comprises magistrates and district judges, have already expressed their opposition to the proposal.
Against this backdrop, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka has written to Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara regarding the proposed constitutional amendment.
In the letter, the BASL stated:
“We respectfully request that an appropriate committee be appointed to study this proposal thoroughly and submit a report on the subject before taking any further steps.
The committee should consist of representatives from the Ministry, the Judiciary, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and other stakeholders as may be deemed appropriate.
We further request that you provide an opportunity at your earliest convenience to fully discuss these matters.
We sincerely hope that no further steps will be taken regarding this proposal until meaningful consultations have been held with key stakeholders in the field of justice.”
The full letter is given below.
