President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is scheduled to meet representatives of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) tomorrow (12) to discuss the Government’s proposal to increase the retirement age of judges.
According to the Presidential Secretariat, the meeting will be held at 1.00 p.m. tomorrow.
The discussions come amid strong opposition from the BASL to the proposed changes to the retirement age of judges.
The Government gazetted the Judicature (Amendment) Bill on August 7, proposing several amendments to the Judicature Act, No. 2 of 1978.
Under the Bill, the maximum number of High Court judges would be increased from 110 to 120, while the retirement age of High Court judges would be raised from 61 to 63.
The Bill also proposes setting the retirement age of all other judges and magistrates at 62, notwithstanding existing provisions under the Public and Judicial Officers (Retirement) Ordinance.
The BASL has strongly opposed the proposed extension of the judicial retirement age. At a special general meeting held on July 29, its members unanimously rejected the proposal to extend the retirement age of Supreme Court judges, warning that it could pose a serious threat to judicial independence.
The Cabinet approved the proposed changes on July 27 despite objections raised by the BASL, the Judicial Service Association, several President’s Counsel and political parties.
