Wednesday Jun 24, 2026
Wednesday Jun 24, 2026
Wednesday, 24 June 2026 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday accused the Government of attempting to amend the Constitution to increase the retirement age of judges without first addressing existing vacancies in the higher judiciary, warning that such a move could undermine judicial independence and democratic governance.
Raising the issue in Parliament, Premadasa questioned the rationale for pursuing constitutional changes while several vacancies remain unfilled in the superior courts.
“This Government is undermining the judiciary and democracy,” he charged.
Responding on behalf of the Government Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara rejected the allegations, insisting that any measures under consideration would be pursued within the framework of the Constitution and the rule of law.
“We have no intention of breaking the rule of law. We have no intention of using any posts as carrots for promotions for anybody,” Nanayakkara told Parliament.
He said the Opposition Leader appeared to be drawing conclusions about proposals that had not yet been finalised.
“I believe the Honourable Opposition Leader presumed a lot of things that we were not even intending to do and then he made comments on that. But I can assure you, whatever we do will be lawful, constitutional and it will be debated before this Parliament,” the Minister said.
Nanayakkara further stated that the relevant processes were being carried out lawfully with the involvement of the Chief Justice, the President and the Parliamentary Council.
“So therefore, the Honourable Leader of the Opposition should have no fear,” he added.
Premadasa, however, rejected the suggestion that his concerns were based on assumptions and pointed to opposition expressed by several legal organisations.
“Let me just explain the fact that I’m not presuming anything, nor am I making any assumptions,” he said.
Premadasa noted that the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) had publicly opposed the Government’s proposal to increase the retirement age of judges and questioned whether that organisation was also acting on assumptions.
He further referred to concerns raised by the Colombo High Court Lawyers’ Association and other legal bodies regarding the proposed constitutional amendment.
“The Colombo High Court Lawyers Association have also expressed their opposition to the draconian Act that you all are formulating, which is to amend the Constitution for the sole purpose of extending the pensionable years,” he said.
Describing the proposal as inconsistent with democratic principles, Premadasa argued that the Government had not received a mandate to pursue measures that could weaken judicial independence.
“You all have got a mandate to promote democracy, to protect the independence of the judiciary,” he said.
The Opposition Leader also cited concerns raised by the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, arguing that criticism of the proposal extended beyond domestic legal organisations.
“All the lawyers’ associations, all the legal luminaries and everyone with a standing and most of all, most of the citizens of this country, they hate the steps that you are trying to take,” Premadasa said.
