Sri Lanka's 22nd Constitutional Amendment has been officially published in the Government Gazette, proposing significant changes to the judiciary including higher retirement ages for senior judges and expansion of the Court of Appeal.
The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution has been officially gazetted, marking a major step in constitutional reform aimed at restructuring Sri Lanka's judicial system. The amendment proposes raising the retirement age for Supreme Court judges from their current level to 67 years, while judges serving in the Court of Appeal would retire at 65 years instead of their existing retirement age.
The legislation introduces a specific provision for the Chief Justice, stipulating that the office will be vacated either when the officeholder reaches 67 years of age or completes six years of service as Chief Justice, whichever comes first. This dual-condition approach aims to balance both age-related transitions and term limitations for the country's highest judicial position.
Another significant component of the amendment involves expanding the Court of Appeal's capacity. Under the proposed changes, the maximum number of judges permitted in the Court of Appeal would increase from 19 to 24, potentially allowing for greater judicial capacity and resource allocation within that court.
The Minister of Justice and National Integration ordered the publication of the Twenty Second Amendment to the Constitution in the Government Gazette. The amendment will now proceed through the required legislative stages before reaching Parliament for consideration and potential passage.
