President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to meet BASL over judicial retirement age

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is scheduled to meet with the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) to discuss a government proposal to increase the retirement age of judges. The meeting follows the gazetting of the Judicature (Amendment) Bill and a proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.

The proposed changes include raising the retirement age for Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 years and for Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65 years. Additionally, the Judicature (Amendment) Bill seeks to increase the maximum number of High Court judges from 110 to 120 and raise their retirement age from 61 to 63. Other judges and magistrates would have a fixed retirement age of 62.

The BASL has expressed unanimous opposition to these measures, warning that extending retirement ages could threaten judicial independence and undermine public confidence in the judiciary. BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya stated that the legal profession remains firmly opposed to the government’s decision.