President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has met with representatives of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) this afternoon (12) at the Presidential Secretariat.

During the meeting, which lasted nearly an hour, attention was focused on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution concerning the extension of the retirement age of judges, with representatives of the BASL presenting their views and recommendations on the matter, according to a statement issued by the President’s Media Division (PMD).

The President listened to the matters raised and explained the Government’s position on the issue, as well as the measures being planned to strengthen and improve the country’s judicial system.

The President emphasised that the administration of justice does not rest solely with the judiciary, but is an integrated process encompassing investigations, prosecutions and adjudication, the statement said.

Accordingly, he noted that the Government is taking steps to strengthen the human resources of the Attorney General’s Department, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), the Sri Lanka Police and the Government Analyst’s Department to strengthen the overall process. 

He further stated that plans are underway to expand the services of CIABOC to the district level, increase the number of Court of Appeal judges, and provide the necessary infrastructure to enable the Court of Appeal to conduct proceedings on a regional basis, thereby making access to justice more convenient for the public, the PMD stated.

The President also highlighted measures being taken to increase the number of High Court judges and provide the necessary physical infrastructure and facilities to courts, thereby making the judicial process more accessible to the public.

In this context, President Dissanayake stressed that the decision to extend the retirement age of judges was not taken with any individual or group in mind, but in the broader public interest, the statement said.

The President further emphasised that this amendment represents only one component of a broader reform programme aimed at addressing issues across the entire system, and that it does not reflect his personal view or the position of the Government alone.

Representatives of the BASL stated that they had no policy objection to increasing the number of judges or extending the retirement age of judges. However, they proposed that the decision on extending the retirement age should be reconsidered with a view to reaching a broader consensus, it added.

Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara, Legal Adviser to the President Attorney-at-Law J. M. Wijebandara and President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka Attorney-at-Law Rajeev Amarasuriya, together with senior representatives of the BASL, participated in the discussion.

--PMD--