22nd Amendment and Judicature Bill Presented to Sri Lanka Parliament

The Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill, which propose extending the retirement ages of judges in Sri Lanka, were presented to Parliament for First Reading today (August 18).

Minister of Justice and National Integration, Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara, presented the two Bills.

The government gazetted the proposed Twenty-Second Amendment Bill on August 7, 2026, despite objections raised over the proposed changes.

As the Minister presented the Twenty-Second Amendment Bill, opposition MPs stood up from their seats and staged a protest while holding placards.

The Bill was referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection.

Under the Constitution, any party wishing to challenge the constitutionality of the Bill may file a petition before the Supreme Court within 14 days from the date it was presented to Parliament.

If such a petition is filed, the Supreme Court is required to consider the matter and communicate its determination to the Speaker within 21 days.

If enacted, the Twenty-Second Amendment will increase the retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 years and that of Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65 years.

Meanwhile, the Judicature (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to amend the Judicature Act, No. 2 of 1978, was also presented to Parliament for First Reading today.

The Bill proposes extending the retirement age of judges of the High Court, Magistrates’ Courts and all other courts.

According to the proposed changes, the retirement age of High Court judges will increase from 61 to 63 years, while the retirement age of other judges, including District Court judges and magistrates, will be fixed at 62 years.

The Bill also proposes increasing the maximum number of High Court judges from 110 to 120.