Sajith calls for national dialogue on constitutional reform

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has called for a national dialogue on constitutional reform, suggesting the establishment of a dedicated Constitutional Court or a similar specialised mechanism to review constitutional matters in Sri Lanka. This proposal was made during a meeting with Steven Thiru, President of the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association, where they discussed various aspects of constitutional democracy, the separation of powers, judicial independence, the rule of law, and environmental justice.

Premadasa emphasized that any reforms should be designed to maintain independence and credibility of constitutional institutions, regardless of which political party is in power, and should not be driven by immediate political interests. He advocated for thorough safeguards, transparency, and public consultation when considering reforms that affect independent constitutional institutions.

Sri Lanka is also considering environmental justice, referencing Section 14 of the Environmental Charter 2.0, which proposes a specialised environmental court or tribunal, and is exploring international benchmarks such as the Commonwealth Latimer House Principles as potential models for reform.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.