The Bar Association of Jaffna has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to reconsider the Government’s proposal to amend the Constitution to increase the retirement age of Superior Court judges.
In a letter to the President dated July 28, the BAJ said it was not opposed in principle to increasing the retirement age, provided it applied across the judiciary, including lower court judges, and formed part of a broader constitutional reform process.
The Association expressed concern that introducing the amendment separately could create a perception that the Executive was interfering with the Judiciary or granting it special privileges, which it said could undermine judicial independence and public confidence.
It also said the retirement age could instead be addressed when the Government undertakes a comprehensive repeal and replacement of the Constitution, warning that piecemeal constitutional amendments for “instrumentalist purposes” could weaken respect for constitutionalism, democratic governance and the rule of law.
The Association urged the President to reconsider and abandon the proposed constitutional amendment at this stage. (Newswire)