Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara says the government will not withdraw its efforts to introduce the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution despite opposition or other obstacles, insisting that the judicial reforms are aimed at improving the efficiency of the justice system.
Minister Nanayakkara made the remarks today (30) while addressing the Badulla District Conference of the “Rata Hadana Jana Balaya” movement.
The proposed 22nd Constitutional Amendment has become the subject of considerable political and legal debate, particularly over plans to extend the retirement age of judges and proposed changes to the judicial system.
The government has maintained that the reforms are intended to improve the efficiency of the courts and expedite the disposal of the country’s longstanding backlog of cases.
However, the proposals have also drawn criticism from sections of the legal community, with concerns raised over the potential impact of changes to judges’ retirement ages on judicial independence.
Minister Nanayakkara meanwhile rejected claims that the proposed changes were designed to benefit or target a particular judge.
“When we came into power, the entire system had become stuck after wandering aimlessly for 30 or 40 years,” he said, arguing that the government had inherited a judicial system burdened by a massive backlog of cases.
According to the Justice Minister, around 1.1 million cases are currently pending before the courts, highlighting the need for reforms aimed at making the judicial process faster and more efficient.
“One of our main promises was to establish the necessary mechanism to bring corrupt and fraudulent individuals before the courts,” Minister Nanayakkara said.
Justice Minister Rejects Claims of Targeting One Judge
Justice Minister Nanayakkara said increasing the retirement age of judges should not be considered in isolation, but as part of a broader programme of judicial reforms.
“I accept the argument that simply increasing the retirement age is not enough. We are looking at this together with the other reforms,” he said.
He also rejected allegations that the government was attempting to extend the tenure of one particular judge.
“If the Judicature Act is amended, the retirement age of all these judges and all District Judges will be increased by two years. All means all,” the Minister said.
He argued that allegations of targeting an individual would only have validity if the government were attempting to increase the retirement age of a single judge or a specifically selected judge.
The controversy over the proposed extension of judges’ retirement ages has become a key issue surrounding the proposed judicial reforms.
Concerns have been raised by legal professionals and other groups over whether changes to the retirement age could affect the independence and public confidence in the judiciary.
The government, however, has continued to argue that reforms are necessary to address the heavy workload faced by the judicial system and the large number of pending cases.
Minister Questions Calls to Delay Amendment
Minister Harshana Nanayakkara also questioned calls from opponents to postpone the proposed constitutional amendment until December.
“They ask why we are bringing this amendment now. Why can’t it be done in December?” he said.
“If something is not good when it is introduced now, how does it become good after December?” the Minister questioned.
He said the public would begin to see the results of the government’s reforms by the end of this year and reiterated that the government would remain committed to its programme.
“Justice will be delivered. The steps taken by this government will not be reversed. That is not the nature of this government,” Minister Nanayakkara said.
