Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara told Parliament on Wednesday that the Cabinet has not approved any proposal to extend the mandatory retirement age of judges, despite the government’s “positive consideration” of the idea, Ada Derana reported.
The minister was responding to questions from Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, who had pressed the government on whether it intended to amend the law to extend the retirement age and on whether constitutional amendments would be needed. Nanayakkara said discussions had taken place at the official and ministerial level but that “no official decision” had been taken and no draft amendment was before the Legal Draftsman’s Department.
The exchange revives a debate that has run intermittently since the Bar Association of Sri Lanka’s June 3 call for an extension of the retirement age, which the BASL framed as a way to retain experienced judges on the bench amid a heavy caseload backlog. Senior members of the bar have argued that any move to alter judicial retirement settings should be pursued by amendment of the relevant Judicature Acts rather than constitutional change, while critics from opposition benches have warned that extensions could be used to keep specific judges in office for political reasons.
Nanayakkara repeated the government’s position that any decision would be taken on the basis of the public interest and judicial efficiency, and that the Cabinet had not yet been formally invited to consider the question. He gave no timeline for a final decision.
Sources: Ada Derana — No cabinet approval yet to extend retirement age of judges.
