By Ceylon Signal 
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has urged the Supreme Court to rule that the proposed 22nd Constitutional Amendment—seeking to raise the retirement age of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges—is inconsistent with Article 3 of the Constitution and therefore cannot be passed without a referendum.
BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya and Secretary Nalin de Silva filed the petition, arguing that the Bill’s attempt to retroactively extend judicial tenure poses a serious threat to judicial independence and undermines the sovereignty of the people.
According to the petition, extending the service period of current judges by two years would grant them direct personal benefits, creating conflicts of interest. It further warns that bypassing the Constitutional Council to extend judicial tenure amounts to a form of “court capture”, enabling the legislature to exert undue influence over the judiciary.
The petitioners also highlight the sensitive nature of the matter, noting that the Chief Justice and other Supreme Court judges themselves stand to benefit from the amendment. Citing this conflict of interest, they request that the case be heard before a Full Bench of the Supreme Court under Article 132(3)(iii) of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court is expected to consider the petition in the coming days.