The government is continuing to examine the possibility of extending the retirement age of judges, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated.

Speaking during the weekly Cabinet media briefing held at the Department of Government Information today (14), Minister Jayatissa said the matter had been discussed in detail by the Cabinet of Ministers, which had decided to seek a report from the Ministry of Justice before making a final decision.

He said the Cabinet would consider the recommendations and information submitted by the Ministry of Justice before deciding on the next steps.

Minister Jayatissa said the present government had taken into account several issues, including the backlog of cases in the country’s judicial system, which has persisted from the Supreme Court level to Magistrate Courts.

He said judges were also interested in expediting legal proceedings, but they too were under pressure due to the increasing workload. He added that speeding up case proceedings was vital to strengthening public confidence in the judiciary.

The Minister also highlighted challenges arising from the concentration of some judicial institutions in Colombo, which he said had placed additional pressure on the system.

He noted that although the number of Supreme Court judges was increased from 11 to 17 and Court of Appeal judges from 12 to 20 through the 20th Amendment in 2020, the issue of judges’ retirement age was not addressed at the time.

Minister Jayatissa further pointed to concerns over the departure of professionals from the country and difficulties in attracting new legal professionals to the judiciary.

He said the government had attempted to recruit 50 Magistrates but received applications from only 33 candidates.

The Minister said the Cabinet would proceed with further decisions after reviewing the report and information to be submitted by the Ministry of Justice.