The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take immediate steps to fill four vacancies in the Supreme Court and four vacancies in the Court of Appeal, warning that the prolonged delay could affect the administration of justice and public confidence in the judiciary.
In a letter addressed to the President, BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya said the association was deeply concerned over the continued vacancies in the country’s superior courts.
The letter follows a previous letter sent on 25 May 2026 regarding a reported proposal to amend the Constitution to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges.
The BASL noted that the first Supreme Court vacancy occurred following the retirement of Justice Gamini Amarasekara on 20 June 2025. Subsequent retirements of Justices S. Thurairaja PC, Kumudini Wickramasinghe, and Priyantha Fernando resulted in the current four vacancies in the Supreme Court. Four additional vacancies remain in the Court of Appeal.
The association highlighted that the President has a constitutional responsibility under Article 107(1) of the Constitution to appoint judges to the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. It warned that leaving eight positions vacant has reduced the judicial strength of the two courts by nearly 25 per cent, creating additional pressure on judges and potentially delaying the disposal of cases.
“The failure to fill these eight vacancies has consequences extending beyond the career progression of members of the Judiciary. More importantly, it places a significant additional burden on the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, both of which are now required to discharge their judicial functions with close to twenty-five per cent fewer judges than their full complement. Inevitably, this has the potential to adversely affect the administration of justice and the timely disposal of matters coming before these Courts,” it said.
The BASL further expressed concern that prolonged delays in making appointments could lead to speculation about the reasons behind the inaction and may create perceptions that appointments are being postponed for the benefit of specific individuals.
Such perceptions, the association said, could undermine public trust in the independence and integrity of the judicial appointments process and the judiciary as a whole.
The BASL has called on the President to urgently complete the appointment process to strengthen the justice system and restore confidence in the efficiency and independence of the judiciary.
