Sri Lanka Moves to Raise Retirement Age for Judges Through 22nd Amendment

Sri Lanka is preparing to gazette the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, a legislative move aimed at increasing the mandatory retirement age for judges serving in the country's higher courts.

The proposed amendment, once gazetted, will be formally presented before Parliament for debate and approval, following the standard legislative procedure required for constitutional changes in Sri Lanka.

What the Amendment Seeks to Address

The move to raise the retirement age for judges has been discussed within legal and political circles as a measure to retain experienced members of the judiciary for longer periods, potentially strengthening the capacity and continuity of Sri Lanka's court system.

Raising the retirement age is seen by proponents as a practical step toward addressing challenges within the judicial system, including backlogs and the loss of senior judicial expertise at a critical stage in a judge's career.

Legislative Process Ahead

Following the gazetting of the proposed bills, the government will table the legislation in Parliament, where members will have the opportunity to scrutinise, debate, and vote on the proposed constitutional changes.

• The bills will first be published in the official gazette
• Parliament will subsequently receive the bills for formal tabling
• Lawmakers will debate and vote on the proposed amendments

Constitutional amendments in Sri Lanka typically require a two-thirds majority in Parliament to be passed, making cross-party support a critical factor in determining the outcome of the proposed legislation.

Further details regarding the specific retirement age being proposed and the timeline for parliamentary debate are expected to be made public once the gazette notification is formally issued.

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