Magistrates, District Court judges up in arms against move

BASL says such a change could undermine public confidence in the judiciary  

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda 

With pressure mounting on the Government from the country’s legal fraternity over the move for retirement age extension for Superior Court judges, the Judicial Service Association of Sri Lanka (JSASL), the sole organisation representing all District Court Judges and Magistrates in the country, has informed President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that it had unanimously passed a resolution opposing such extension for any judge.   

Earlier, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), the apex professional body representing over 26,000 attorneys-at-law, over registered protest over the proposed constitutional amendment to increase the retirement age of Superior Court judges.   

The JSASL informed the President in writing that a Special General Meeting convened last Saturday unanimously resolved, by secret ballot, that it does not agree with extending the statutory retirement age of all judges.   

The letter, signed by JSASL Vice President Magistrate Chamara Wickramanayake and Secretary Magistrate Suranga Munasinghe, was sent following the resignation of its President, Magistrate Pasan Amarasena, who stated that he had been influenced to convene an urgent Special General Meeting contrary to the Association’s constitution.   

All 65 members who attended the JSASL meeting on Saturday voted unanimously in favour of the resolution rejecting the proposed amendment.   

In terms of Article 107(5) of the Constitution, the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court is fixed at 65 years, while judges of the Court of Appeal are required to retire at 63 years. The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to increase the retirement age of judges serving in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.   

In a letter dated June 25, 2026, the BASL requested President Anura Kumara Dissanayake not to proceed with the proposed constitutional amendment. The BASL argued that such a change is neither necessary nor desirable and could undermine public confidence in the judiciary and the Government’s commitment to safeguarding judicial independence and the rule of law.   

The BASL warned that the public may question the motives behind a constitutional amendment introduced solely for the purpose of extending judicial tenure. It further observed that the number of judges in both superior courts had already been substantially increased through the 20th Amendment to the Constitution in 2020, increasing the number of Court of Appeal judges from 12 to 20 and Supreme Court judges from 11 to 17.   

In a letter dated July 2, the Colombo Law Society (CLS), a premier professional association representing attorneys-at-law in Sri Lanka, also urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to refrain from proceeding with any constitutional amendment seeking to extend the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, warning that such a move could undermine public confidence in the independence of the judiciary.   

Meanwhile, the Colombo High Court Lawyers’ Association and several other regional bar associations also urged the government to abandon the reported proposal to increase the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, warning that such a move could undermine judicial independence, disrupt career progression within the Judicial Service, and erode public confidence in the judiciary.  

The President of the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association (CLA), Steven Thiru, recently urged the Sri Lankan Government to withdraw its proposed constitutional amendment seeking to extend the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, warning that the move could seriously undermine judicial independence and public confidence in the justice system.   

Addressing a public forum organised by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) on July 4, Steven Thiru said the CLA stood in solidarity with the Sri Lankan legal profession in safeguarding the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. He commended the BASL for taking a principled stand on the issue, describing the Association as a longstanding defender of judicial independence.