Only 1 % of 1.1 mn cases held up in SC and CA: GL
By Shamindra Ferdinando Convenor of the Joint Opposition Prof. G.L. Peiris has challenged the NPP government to prove its much-touted claim that increasing the mandatory retirement ages of Supreme Court judges and Court of Appeal judges was intended to clear the massive backlog of court cases, numbering over 1.1 mn. The former External Affairs Minister […]
Sri Lanka's Joint Opposition leader Prof. G.L. Peiris has challenged the current government to substantiate its claim that raising the mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges is aimed at clearing the over 1.1 million case backlog. The retired External Affairs Minister stated this during a media interaction in Kandy, responding to The Island's inquiries following a meeting with both Malwatta and Asgiriya Chapter Mahanayake Theras.
Peiris emphasized that only about 1% of the total cases mentioned by the government to justify the proposed 22 Amendment were actually held up in the superior courts. The NPP has persistently repeated this false claim, regardless of the consequences, he noted, highlighting that the four vacancies in both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal also debunked this lie.
If the government genuinely cared about the backlog, it would have filled the eight vacancies, Peiris argued. The draft Bill, published in the gazette, proposes increasing the retirement age for Supreme Court Justices from 65 to 67 and Appeals Court Judges from 63 to 65. The controversial amendment also suggests that the Chief Justice would retire upon reaching 67 years or after six years in office, whichever comes first.
Peiris acknowledged that the bid to increase retirement ages for superior court judges was initially abandoned due to opposition from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and other similar groups. He alleged that the 22 Amendment aimed to bring the judiciary under the executive's control, marking the first step in extending both presidential and parliamentary terms.
URF leader Patali Champika Ranawaka estimated that 96% of the 1.1 million cases are held up in Magistrate and District Courts. Citing a parliamentary committee's recommendation from 2017 and an ADB study from 2023, Ranawaka accused the NPP of disregarding these recommendations and using the situation to their advantage. Ranawaka claimed that the real goal of the 22 Amendment is to extend the terms of Parliament and the President via a referendum, intending to dismantle the Opposition.
Prof. Peiris stated that they would challenge the 22 Amendment in the Supreme Court within two weeks of its gazette, as per the Constitution.
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.
