The United National Party has rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to extend judges' retirement age, arguing that an International Monetary Fund assessment identifies case backlog as the judiciary's primary problem, not judicial tenure.
The United National Party (UNP) Working Committee has approved a resolution opposing a constitutional amendment that would extend the retirement age of judges. The party argues that an EU assessment report and an International Monetary Fund governance diagnostic evaluation do not support such tenure changes, and that the government's stated rationale misrepresents these external assessments.
According to the UNP statement, the IMF report identifies case backlog as the judiciary's central challenge. The Colombo District Court alone manages approximately 45,000 pending cases related to money recovery, with each of the court's 10 judges handling roughly 2,000 cases at any given time. The report notes that contract enforcement in Sri Lanka typically takes six to seven years, and recommends establishing specialized courts to address the 1.1 million case backlog rather than modifying judicial tenure.
The UNP contends that the government's amendment proposal diverges from the external assessments' recommendations. The party notes that the IMF report specifically identifies administrative inefficiencies and insufficient support staff—particularly in the Commercial High Court—as contributing factors to delays. The report suggests comprehensive judicial procedure reform and strengthening alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to expedite case resolution.
The party has called for suspending the proposed amendment pending broader consultation. The UNP recommends that Parliament discuss the IMF findings, consult with the Attorney General, judiciary, and Bar Association of Sri Lanka, and formulate a new approach prioritizing case backlog reduction. The party stated it would support a revised proposal developed through this consultative process.
