Justice Minister Harsha Nanayakkara declared that the government will not step back “even by a single step” from its effort to bring the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, despite mounting opposition.
Speaking at the Badulla District convention of the Rata Hadana Jana Balaya movement, the Minister said the amendment is part of wider reforms aimed at strengthening the judicial system and ensuring corrupt individuals are brought before the courts.
He noted that decades of neglect had left the system paralyzed, with over 1.1 million cases pending. The government’s reforms, he said, are designed to make proceedings faster and more efficient, including changes to the retirement age of judges.
Nanayakkara rejected claims that the amendment targets a single judge, stressing that under the Judicial Organizations Act, the retirement age of all judges would be increased uniformly by two years. “If we tried to extend only one judge’s age, that argument would be valid. But here, everyone’s age increases equally,” he said.
Responding to critics who questioned the timing, the Minister asked why the amendment should be delayed until December. “If it is not good now, how does it become good later? By the end of this year you will see results. Justice will be fulfilled. The steps taken by this government will not go back. That is not the nature of this government,” he asserted. (Newswire)