Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) President, President’s Counsel Rajeev Amarasuriya, said the BASL had requested the President to make a decision on the proposed constitutional amendment to extend the retirement age of judges only after conducting extensive consultations with legal and other relevant experts.

He made the remarks while speaking to the media following a meeting with the President at the Presidential Secretariat.

Amarasuriya said the BASL had a constructive and productive discussion with the President regarding the proposed amendment and expressed hope that the Government would reconsider its position following the meeting.

Speaking further, Amarasuriya said the BASL had presented its position to the President and explained the reasons why members of the judiciary and legal profession were opposed to the proposed constitutional amendment.

He said around 20 representatives participated in the discussion, including President’s Counsel, former BASL presidents and university professors.

“We explained our position to the President, and he also shared his views with us. Ultimately, we requested that any decision to make a change of this nature should be taken only after conducting broad academic and expert consultations,” he said.

Amarasuriya stressed that the BASL’s position was not intended as a confrontation with any individual, but rather represented a difference of opinion between the Bar Association and the legal profession on one hand and the President on the other.

He said the BASL hoped the discussion would lead to a broader consultation involving university academics, researchers who had studied the issue and those who had prepared reports on the proposed amendment.

“We hope that, by considering the views of all these parties, the decision will be reconsidered and the appropriate conclusion reached,” he said.

Describing the meeting as a positive and constructive discussion, Amarasuriya said the Government had the constitutional authority to amend the Constitution, while the BASL had the right to express its opposition to the proposal if it believed the amendment was inappropriate.

“I hope things will turn around for the better following today’s discussion. We met the President, who is a mature leader and an experienced politician. He has fought for years for the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. Therefore, we will wait and see how this matter develops,” he said.