FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – The Cabinet of Ministers in Sri Lanka has given its approval to release the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill along with the Judicature (Amendment) Bill in the official government gazette, which proposes an increase in the retirement age for all judges by two years.
Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa announced that the Attorney General had cleared the proposals constitutionally following their initial endorsement on July 27. The next step will involve presenting these bills to Parliament for further approval.
Jayatissa refuted allegations suggesting that the constitutional amendment was aimed at benefiting a particular individual within the judiciary. He emphasized that the changes are designed to alleviate the backlog of cases and enhance the overall efficiency of the judicial system.
“Our goal has been to assist the public by streamlining the legal processes that have accumulated in this country,” Jayatissa stated.
In addition, the government is implementing operational strategies to tackle structural delays, which includes increasing the capacity of the courts. Although 110 High Courts have been sanctioned, only 94 High Court judges are currently active. The government intends to raise the number of High Court judges to 120.
Efforts are also underway to fill the vacancies in lower courts. While a recruitment drive for 50 Magistrates was conducted, only 33 candidates were chosen.
Other initiatives involve hiring personnel to expedite processes at the Government Analyst’s Department, enhancing transportation services for night operations, and bolstering the staff at the Attorney General’s Department.
Jayatissa remarked that these judicial reforms and expedited court proceedings aim to alleviate overcrowding in prisons across the nation. (Colombo/Aug4/2026)
