Former Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said that legal action will be initiated next week against the Government’s proposed legislation to extend the retirement age of judges of the superior courts.
Former Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said that legal action will be initiated next week against the Government’s proposed legislation to extend the retirement age of judges of the superior courts.
Speaking to the media following a meeting between representatives of the Joint Opposition and British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Andrew Patrick, Peiris said they would approach the Supreme Court to challenge the proposed constitutional amendment.
The delegation briefed the British High Commissioner on its objections to the proposed legislation, which seeks to extend the retirement age of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges.
Peiris argued that extending the retirement age would not provide a genuine solution to the backlog of cases in the judicial system, noting that only a small proportion of pending cases are before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.
Referring to Sri Lanka’s longstanding ties with the Commonwealth and the United Kingdom, the opposition representatives also expressed concern over recent developments in the country’s governance.
Commenting on the scheduled meeting between the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Peiris said discussions held after major decisions had already been made would have little practical value.
The Government’s proposed amendment has drawn objections from the BASL and other stakeholders, particularly over concerns that extending the tenure of superior court judges could affect judicial independence.
