{
  "id": 10096493,
  "title": "Parliament clears 22A amid protests",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/parliament-clears-22a-amid-protests",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-27T00:05:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Island Sri Lanka",
    "slug": "the-island-sri-lanka",
    "url": "http://island.lk/parliament-clears-22a-amid-protests/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Parliament has approved the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill, increasing the retirement age of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges, despite strong opposition from the SJB, ITAK, SLPP, SLMC, and other parties. The amendment received 158 votes in favor and 63 against, with the Judicature (Amendment) Bill also passing by the same margin. The 22nd Amendment aims to raise Supreme Court judges' retirement age from 65 to 67 and Court of Appeal judges' age from 63 to 65. Chief Justice would retire at 67 or after six years in office, whichever comes first. The SJB protested the legislation, with MPs wearing black and staging a demonstration at Polduwa Junction, Battaramulla, under the theme \"No to 22, which destroys democracy.\"",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}