Legal challenges to Sri Lanka's proposed 22nd Amendment have intensified with seven petitions now filed before the Supreme Court, while disagreements between government and opposition over a Bar Association briefing to MPs have led to its postponement.

Seven petitions challenging the constitutionality of the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution have been filed before the Supreme Court, according to Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. The Speaker informed Parliament of four additional petitions filed recently, bringing the total to seven when combined with three petitions received earlier. The amendment seeks to raise the retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 years and Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65 years.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has postponed a planned briefing for members of Parliament on the proposed amendment, citing lack of bipartisan consensus. BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya stated in a letter that while the association had hoped for cross-party participation, government criticism of the proposed meeting and its stated position in Parliament made continued planning untenable. The association indicated that postponement would occur until bipartisan participation could be assured. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had initially requested the briefing on June 8 for opposition MPs, later expanding the request to include all parliamentarians.

Government MPs disputed characterizations of the meeting, with National People's Power MP Lakmali Hemachandra arguing that the Opposition Leader lacked the authority to summon all MPs and that describing such a meeting as bipartisan would be misleading. Hemachandra also questioned whether any lobby group should have access to address Parliament while in session, noting that the general public lacks such privileges. The controversy reflects broader disagreement over parliamentary procedure and the legitimacy of the proposed amendment.

The government has signaled readiness to take the amendment to a referendum if the Supreme Court determines public approval is necessary alongside a two-thirds parliamentary majority. Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa indicated the government would comply with the Supreme Court's determination, expected by late September or October. The proposal to extend judges' retirement ages is not new, having been previously introduced as a private member's proposal during the Ranil Wickremesinghe presidency.