The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has opposed any move to arbitrarily increase the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka, saying such a change is neither necessary nor appropriate at this time.
Speaking at a public forum in Colombo on Saturday, BASL President Rajiv Amarasuriya said the association had consistently maintained its position against arbitrary changes to the retirement age of judges. The forum was convened amid reports that the government is considering a constitutional amendment to extend the retirement ages of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges, currently 65 and 63 years, respectively.
Amarasuriya said the BASL had also conveyed its position to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake through a formal letter.
He warned that introducing such changes at this stage could undermine public confidence in the judiciary and raise concerns over the government's commitment to judicial independence and the rule of law.
The forum was attended by members of the BASL, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and Dilith Jayaweera, among other political representatives.
