Friday Aug 07, 2026
Friday Aug 07, 2026
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Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa
Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday said he had not been informed of any letter reportedly sent by the Chief Prelates of the three Nikayas to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake opposing the proposed constitutional amendment to extend the retirement age of judges.
Responding to a question during the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing, Dr. Jayatissa said he and Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara met the Chief Prelates of the Malwattu, Asgiri and Ramanna Nikayas on Monday to brief them on the proposed 22nd Constitutional Amendment.
He said the Government’s position and its objective of expediting long-pending Court cases to provide timely justice to the public were clearly explained during the discussions.
According to Dr. Jayatissa, the Chief Prelates, did not express any opposition to the proposed amendment at those meetings.
“The amendment was not intended to benefit or target any individual judge, but would uniformly increase the retirement age of all judges, including those serving in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Magistrates’ Courts and other courts governed under the Judicial Service Act,” he explained.
Quoting the Malwattu Chief Prelate, the Cabinet Spokesman said even senior members of the Maha Sangha had acknowledged the serious delays in the judicial system, with some cases taking between 12 and 20 years to conclude, and recognised the need for reforms to improve the efficiency of the courts.
“There is no opposition to judicial reforms aimed at speeding up the hearing of cases, not even from the Chief Prelates,” Dr. Jayatissa said.
The Cabinet Spokesman and Justice Minister also met the Chief Prelate of the Amarapura Nikaya yesterday evening to continue discussions on the proposed constitutional amendment and the Government’s judicial reform agenda.
