BASL raises concern over reported move to extend Judges’ retirement age

• Editor
• June 3, 2026
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The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), one of the country’s largest professional bodies, has called on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake not to proceed with any proposed constitutional amendment aimed at increasing the retirement age of members of the judiciary, including judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

In a letter addressed to the President, the BASL expressed grave concern over reports that the Government is considering amending the Constitution to extend the retirement age of judges serving in the country’s apex courts.

The BASL maintained that the retirement ages of judges of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, fixed at 63 and 65 years respectively since the promulgation of the 1978 Constitution, should not be altered arbitrarily.

The BASL argued that such a change is neither necessary nor desirable and could undermine public confidence in the judiciary and the Government’s commitment to safeguarding judicial independence and the rule of law.