The number of petitions filed in the Supreme Court against the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution has risen to 37, Hiru News reported on Wednesday evening.
The amendment, which would raise the retirement age of superior court judges, was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday by Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara. It has drawn objections from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and a range of other bodies.
If the figure holds, it marks a sharp escalation from the six petitions lodged on the day the Bill was tabled. Those were filed by the BASL, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Sarvajana Balaya, former Justice Minister Professor G.L. Peiris and the Free Lawyers organisation, several of which asked for the case to be heard by a full bench.
No other newsroom had published a running total at the time of writing, and Hiru News did not identify the additional petitioners.
The Speaker’s figure is a different count
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne told Parliament earlier on Wednesday that copies of three petitions had reached his office. That number refers only to copies formally transmitted to the Speaker, not to filings at the Supreme Court registry, and the two counts are not directly comparable.
What the petitioners argue
Daily FT reported that the SJB petition, numbered SC/SD/31/2026, was filed by General Secretary and MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara, naming the Attorney General as respondent. Professor Peiris filed a separate Special Determination petition centred on the fact that the extension would apply to judges already serving, including the sitting Chief Justice.
The first petition was lodged by BASL Treasurer T.M.S. Pasindu Silva and its Assistant Secretary, with Free Lawyers Movement Chairman Maithri Gunaratne filing subsequently.
Several petitioners contend the amendment affects the sovereignty of the people and cannot be passed on a two-thirds parliamentary majority alone, but requires approval at a referendum.
Hiru News reported that petitions may be filed within two weeks of the Bill’s tabling, after which the Supreme Court must communicate its determination to the Speaker within three weeks.
