Mano alleges govt. exploiting case backlog for political gain

Tamil Progressive Alliance leader Mano Ganeshan has criticized the government's proposal to extend judges' retirement age as an attempt to exploit the case backlog for political gain. He claims the government's claim that extending retirement age is an administrative measure to tackle the backlog of court cases is neither convincing nor credible.

Ganeshan argues that using the backlog as a pretext to alter the composition of the judiciary is a form of constitutional manipulation aimed at achieving political objectives. He emphasizes that addressing the judicial backlog is necessary and urgent, with known causes such as administrative inefficiencies, inadequate staffing, insufficient resources, and procedural delays.

The government's proposed reforms, according to Ganeshan, are mere distractions from the real issue, which is the consolidation of power by weakening independent institutions. The BASL, a respected legal institution, has formally rejected the proposal, further undermining the government's narrative that critics are only politicians under investigation.

Ganeshan calls for equal justice, emphasizing that corruption investigations must be thorough and non-selective, involving all those accused of wrongdoing. He warns that if the government truly wants to combat corruption, it must extend investigations to related scandals, including the 300-plus container scandal and the alleged disappearance of US$2.5 million.

He also draws parallels to past struggles for judicial independence, such as the one led by former Executive President Mahinda Rajapaksa against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake. Ganeshan remains committed to defending the independence of the judiciary, regardless of political shifts.