President, BASL discuss judges’ retirement age, judicial reforms
COLOMBO – President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and representatives of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) held discussions on Wednesday (12) on the proposed Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution and the extension of the retirement age of judges.
The nearly hour-long meeting, held at the Presidential Secretariat, focused on the BASL’s concerns and recommendations regarding the proposed amendment, with the President outlining the government’s position and its broader plans to strengthen the country’s justice system.
President Dissanayake stressed that the administration of justice extends beyond the judiciary and involves an integrated process encompassing investigations, prosecutions and adjudication.
He said the government was taking steps to strengthen the human resources of the Attorney General’s Department, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), Sri Lanka Police and the Government Analyst’s Department as part of efforts to improve the overall justice system.
Plans are also underway to expand CIABOC’s services to the district level, increase the number of Court of Appeal judges and provide the infrastructure required for the Court of Appeal to conduct proceedings regionally, thereby improving public access to justice, the President said.
He also highlighted plans to increase the number of High Court judges and improve the physical infrastructure and facilities of courts.
Against this backdrop, President Dissanayake said the proposal to extend judges’ retirement age had not been introduced with any particular individual or group in mind, but was intended to serve the broader public interest.
He further said the proposed amendment was only one component of a wider judicial reform program aimed at addressing shortcomings across the justice system and should not be viewed as a reflection of his personal position or that of the government alone.
BASL representatives said the Association had no policy objection to increasing the number of judges or extending judges’ retirement ages. However, they called for the proposal to extend the retirement age to be reconsidered with a view to reaching broader consensus on the matter.
Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, President’s Legal Adviser Attorney-at-Law J.M. Wijebandara, BASL President Attorney-at-Law Rajeev Amarasuriya and senior representatives of the Association attended the meeting.
–ENCL
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