President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has presented a comprehensive justification for the proposed 22nd Amendment to extend Superior Court judges' retirement age, arguing it is necessary to retain judicial experience amid court expansion rather than a measure favoring particular incumbents.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has mounted a detailed defence of the proposed 22nd Amendment before the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), positioning the retirement-age extension as a systemic reform rather than a measure designed to benefit specific judges. During Wednesday's meeting, the President argued that extending judges' retirement age should have accompanied the 20th Amendment, which expanded the Supreme Court from 11 to 17 judges and the Court of Appeal from 12 to 20 members. He reasoned that filling these additional positions would have required substantial new appointments and justified retaining experienced judges through the proposed change.

Addressing BASL concerns that the Amendment privileges incumbent judges, President Dissanayake maintained that any judicial reform could be characterized similarly, citing previous increases in court numbers as comparable examples. He rejected suggestions that timing was suspicious, noting that any retirement-age change would inevitably affect judges at different career stages. The President also dismissed arguments for delaying the Amendment until after December 1, suggesting that such timing concerns indicated the dispute centred on particular individuals rather than policy principles.

The President framed the Amendment within a broader justice sector overhaul encompassing multiple institutions and reforms. The Government plans to establish four additional Court of Appeal judges to facilitate provincial sittings and establish approximately 11 new High Courts across 10 districts. Simultaneously, authorities are expanding investigative capacity through 24 regional offices for the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, recruiting 373 additional officers, and appointing 50 new magistrates. Police recruitment targets an additional 10,000 officers to address current staffing shortages, while the Attorney General's Department will receive 50 additional officers.

President Dissanayake explained that existing judicial vacancies remained unfilled partly due to the Easter Sunday case, which involves approximately 23,000 charges and 3,000 witnesses and is being heard by senior High Court judges eligible for Court of Appeal elevation. He stated that moving judges before case conclusion risked continuity, while withholding consideration could prove unfair. The President acknowledged BASL concerns about creating negative perceptions but maintained the Amendment represented necessary constitutional reform grounded in systemic rather than individual considerations.