Supreme Court rules no referendum needed for Sri Lanka’s 22nd Amendment
FILE PHOTO – (Photo credit: Parliament of Sri Lanka)
The Supreme Court has determined that Sri Lanka’s 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill does not require a referendum but needs a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne announced the determination at the commencement of parliamentary proceedings today (September 22).
According to the determination, none of the Bill’s provisions require approval by the people at a referendum under Article 83 of the Constitution.
The court also specified changes to Clause 2, including replacing the wording referring to “reaching” the age of 67 with wording referring to “completing” that age.
A further provision states that the six-year term limit will not apply to the person holding office as Chief Justice when the amendment comes into operation.
The Bill, which seeks to extend the retirement age of judges, was presented to Parliament on August 18, 2026.
Parliament is scheduled to debate the Bill on September 24 and 25, 2026.