The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has filed a petition with the Supreme Court challenging the 22nd Amendment Bill, arguing it requires both parliamentary supermajority approval and public referendum before enactment.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has moved to challenge the constitutional validity of the 22nd Amendment Bill through a petition filed with the Supreme Court on the same day the measure was tabled in Parliament. The petition, filed by BASL Treasurer T.M.S. Pasindu Silva and the association's Assistant Secretary, represents the first formal legal challenge to the proposed amendment.
The petitioners are seeking a Supreme Court ruling that would require the Bill to clear two significant hurdles before becoming law. According to their submission, the amendment would need approval from a two-thirds majority of parliamentarians as well as endorsement through a nationwide referendum. This dual-approval mechanism would represent a notably stringent process compared to standard legislative procedures.
The move signals early legal contestation of a constitutional matter that has apparently generated significant institutional concern. By filing immediately following Parliament's tabling of the Bill, the legal profession's representative body has placed the issue before the courts at the earliest possible stage, potentially delaying the amendment's progression through the legislative process while the Supreme Court examines the constitutional questions raised.
