The Chief Prelates of the three major Buddhist Chapters have urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to abandon proposed constitutional amendments extending the retirement age of superior court judges, following the public disclosure of their joint letter in Colombo on Wednesday (12).
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Sujeewa Senasinghe released the letter during a press conference, bringing official documentation to an ongoing political debate surrounding the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.
Under existing constitutiona provisions, Court of Appeal judges must step down at 63, while Supreme Court judges retire at 65, limits the Chief Prelates insisted should remain unchanged.
“We believe that it is not appropriate for the Government to act in this manner to increase those age limits,” the letter states, according to the section released by Senasinghe.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa and Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara conducted high-level consultations with the Chief Prelates of the Asgiriya, Malwathu, Ramanna, and Amarapura Chapters to clarify the NPP government's policy stance.
They informed the prelates that the proposed tenure adjustments form part of an overarching judicial overhaul designed to resolve massive case backlogs, expedite court proceedings, and enhance system-wide efficiency.
Minister Jayatissa clarified that the age extension is not tailored for specific individuals, explaining that the revision would uniformly apply to approximately 400 judicial officers ranging from magistrate level up to the apex court bench.
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