The deadline for filing petitions for and against Sri Lanka's 22nd Constitutional Amendment Bill expires tomorrow, with nearly 30 submissions already received from both supporters and opponents of the proposed legislation.
The Supreme Court will close its petition filing window tomorrow for the 22nd Constitutional Amendment Bill, which was introduced to Parliament on August 18 by Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara. Nearly 30 petitions have been submitted to date, representing both support for and opposition to the controversial amendment.
Opposition parties, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, several other legal organizations, and civil society groups have challenged the Bill before the Supreme Court. In contrast, government-aligned figures including MP Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi have filed petitions in favor of the proposed changes. According to former MP Prof. G.L. Peiris, all opposition petitioners have coordinated to submit a special motion to the Supreme Court tomorrow.
Peiris indicated that the joint opposition strategy will contest the propriety of having the Supreme Court solely decide the matter, arguing that the judges themselves could benefit directly from the amendment's provisions. The opposition will request instead that the amendment be decided through a public referendum, transferring the decision-making authority to voters rather than the judiciary. This approach represents an attempt to reframe the constitutional question as one requiring broader democratic participation beyond the courts.
