Govt. vs. Reason
Wednesday 5th August, 2026 Power makes governments impervious to reason and even drives them to amend the Constitution to achieve their political objectives. Unsurprisingly, the JVP-NPP government is in an indecent hurry to extend the retirement ages of judges. A draft constitutional amendment aimed at achieving that end received Cabinet approval yesterday. However, the government’s […]
On Wednesday, 5th August, 2026, the government's determination to extend judges' retirement ages, despite a Supreme Court precedent, appears doomed. The draft constitutional amendment, which received Cabinet approval yesterday, is expected to face significant legal and political hurdles. The Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa pointed out that the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling forbids the amendment of judges' retirement ages without a referendum, as it would affect the judiciary's independence under Article 3.
This judicial precedent could prove to be the government's biggest obstacle. International organisations like the International Association of Judges (IAJ) and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) have also called for a reconsideration of the proposed amendment, warning that it undermines judicial independence and lacks moral legitimacy.
The Mahanayake Theras and the Church of Ceylon have also urged the government to abandon its plan, fearing it will lead to a politico-legal imbroglio. The government's efforts to vilify its opponents as supporters of corrupt politicians have also failed. The fate of Gotabaya Rajapaksa's government serves as a cautionary tale for the current administration, which is under international pressure to abandon its controversial constitutional amendment.
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
