Petitions filed by three parties against the 22nd Amendment

Three distinct parties, including the prominent Sri Lanka Bar Association, have lodged petitions with the Supreme Court challenging the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment's core provision seeks to extend the retirement age for judges serving on the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

Petitioners contend that the constitutional amendment, if passed, would significantly harm the independence of the judiciary and erode the rule of law in Sri Lanka. They argue that the amendment constitutes a misuse of the constitution and are seeking a judicial order to compel a public referendum on the bill before it can be enacted.

The petitions were filed by the assistant secretary and treasurer of the Sri Lanka Bar Association, the president of the Lawyers' Association for Free Lawyers, and the convener of the People's United Opposition. The Attorney General has been named as the respondent in these legal challenges.

Specifically, the amendment, as outlined in the bill presented to parliament, proposes raising the retirement age for a Supreme Court judge to 67 years and for a Court of Appeal judge to 65 years. The petitioners argue that this change, detailed in the second clause of the bill, requires further public scrutiny through a referendum.