Key facts
- Sri Lanka's cabinet approved a constitutional amendment to extend the tenure of superior court judges by two years.
- The amendment applies to Supreme Court, Appeals Court, and High Court judges.
- A separate bill will extend the tenure of district and magistrate judges by two years.
- The goal is to improve case efficiency and clear a backlog of 1.1 million pending court cases.
- The justice ministry backs the changes to strengthen the judicial system and reduce prison overcrowding.
- Opposition parties have raised concerns about judicial independence and the consultative process.
Sri Lanka's cabinet has approved a constitutional amendment that will extend the tenure of superior court judges by two years, aiming to improve the efficiency of the judicial system and clear a significant backlog of cases. The proposal, which also includes extending the tenure of district and magistrate judges, comes in the wake of recent deadly prison riots and aims to alleviate pressure on overcrowded facilities.
Cabinet spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the aim is to increase the efficiency of case hearings and provide relief to the public, who often face waits of 12 to 20 years for their cases to be resolved. The justice ministry has supported these changes as part of a broader effort to strengthen the judiciary and address the backlog of 1.1 million pending court cases. Sri Lanka's prisons are severely overcrowded, holding over 41,000 inmates in facilities designed for approximately 11,000.
However, the proposed changes have met opposition from Sri Lanka's opposition parties and lawyers. They argue that the bill could undermine public perceptions of judicial independence and that it lacks a proper consultative framework. The main opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya, has proposed establishing a special parliamentary select committee to identify procedural measures for resolving legal cases more quickly.