OMM Redaksiyası
Sri Lanka’s Parliament on Friday approved the second reading of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution by a two-thirds majority, with 158 lawmakers voting in favour and 63 against, according to the Daily Mirror.
The amendment is intended to improve judicial efficiency and help address a backlog of about 1.1 million court cases.
Retirement age for senior judges raised
Under the amendment, the retirement age for Supreme Court judges will increase from 65 to 67, while Court of Appeal judges will be able to serve until the age of 65, up from 63.
The Chief Justice will retire at 67 or after six years from the date of appointment. The six-year limit will not apply to the incumbent Chief Justice.
The legislation also raises the maximum number of other Court of Appeal judges from 19 to 24.
More High Court judges planned
Separately, the Judicature (Amendment) Bill proposes increasing the number of High Court judges from 110 to 120. It would also raise their retirement age from 61 to 63.
The retirement age for other judges and magistrates would increase to 62 under the bill.
The measures come amid wider concerns about congestion in Sri Lanka’s justice and prison systems. Earlier this year, a riot at a prison in Negombo left 28 people dead.
