Sri Lanka's Attorney General has approved legislation that would extend the retirement age of judges by two years, a move aimed at addressing the country's mounting backlog of pending court cases.
The Attorney General's Department has given its formal approval to a draft bill proposing an extension of judges' retirement ages, according to a statement released by the department. Legal observations on the proposed legislation have been submitted to the Ministry of Justice, which is now expected to proceed with finalizing the bill for gazetting.
The Cabinet of Ministers previously endorsed the proposal to extend judicial retirement ages by two years, following a submission from the Ministry of Justice. Officials indicated that the extension is intended to help expedite the resolution of cases that have accumulated within the country's court system.
According to government statements, the judicial system currently faces significant pressures, with more than 1.1 million cases awaiting resolution across courts nationwide. Proponents of the measure suggest that retaining judges beyond their current retirement age will provide additional resources to work through this substantial caseload and improve case disposal rates.
