Government Defends Judicial Reform Plan Amid Debate Over Judges’ Retirement Age
August 11, Colombo (LNW): The Government has sought to reassure Sri Lanka’s senior Buddhist clergy that its proposed changes to the judicial system are part of a wider reform programme and are not designed to benefit any particular judge.
Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said the Government had briefed the Chief Prelates of the country’s three main Nikayas after reports emerged of a letter to the President objecting to a proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the retirement age of judges.
Speaking at the post-Cabinet media briefing, Jayatissa said he and Justice Minister had met the Chief Prelates of the Asgiriya, Malwathu and Ramanna Nikayas collectively before holding a separate discussion with the Chief Prelate of the Amarapura Nikaya.
According to Jayatissa, the Government used the meetings to explain that the proposed retirement-age change was only one element of a much broader effort to address long-standing weaknesses in the justice system, particularly the accumulation of unresolved cases.
The reform package includes measures to strengthen key institutions such as the Judiciary, the Attorney General’s Department, the Prisons Department, the Government Analyst’s Department and the Judicial Services Commission. The Government also plans to accelerate recruitment, fill long-standing vacancies and expand the number of hearings conducted by Magistrates’ Courts.
Other proposals include the creation of additional appellate courts, wider use of digital systems within justice-sector institutions and amendments to legislation intended to remove procedural obstacles that contribute to delays in the courts.
The Government also intends to improve the facilities and allowances available to judges, with the stated aim of making judicial service more effective and helping to attract and retain personnel within the system.
Jayatissa rejected suggestions that the proposed extension of judges’ retirement age was intended to keep a particular individual in office. He said the measure would apply throughout the judicial hierarchy, from Magistrates to Supreme Court judges, potentially affecting about 400 judges by extending their retirement by two years.
He said the Chief Prelates had heard the Government’s explanation and recognised the broader objectives of the proposed reforms. According to the Cabinet spokesman, the religious leaders indicated that they would support such measures if they ultimately helped reduce delays in the courts and delivered tangible benefits to the public.
The Government’s position is that tackling the country’s judicial backlog will require changes across several institutions rather than relying on a single legislative amendment.
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