The Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) has voiced concern over Sri Lanka’s reported move to extend the retirement age of judges of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, warning that such a constitutional amendment could undermine judicial independence and public confidence.
In a statement issued yesterday (11), the CLA noted the Bar Association of Sri Lanka’s (BASL) letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, which described the proposal as a “blatant attempt to interfere with the judiciary.”
The CLA echoed this position, stressing that constitutional amendments should not be made in a piecemeal or ad hoc manner, and must be preceded by adequate public and stakeholder consultation.
Citing the Latimer House Principles and its own Goa Declaration 2023, the CLA underscored that an independent, impartial, and competent judiciary is essential to upholding the rule of law.
It warned that any steps diminishing public confidence in the judiciary would be “antithetical to the rule of law.”
The association further called on Sri Lankan authorities to refrain from proceeding with the proposed constitutional amendment, resist piecemeal changes to the Constitution, ensure due process through consultation and stakeholder engagement, and safeguard judicial independence and uphold the rule of law.
The CLA, an international non‑profit organisation promoting the rule of law across the Commonwealth, emphasised that governments must respect judicial independence under domestic laws, regulations, and policies. (Newswire)
