Sri Lankan Opposition Protests Proposed Changes to Judicial System
Sri Lanka’s main opposition has demonstrated against proposed judicial reforms, including a higher retirement age for judges. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said the measures would destroy judicial independence, while President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government says the legislation is needed to reduce delays in the courts.
Sri Lanka’s main opposition held a protest on Thursday against proposed reforms to the country’s judiciary, including a plan to raise the retirement age for judges. Thousands of supporters gathered outside parliament, where opposition leader Sajith Premadasa criticised legislation proposed by the administration of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Premadasa said the measures would “annihilate” judicial independence.
The government has defended the reforms, saying they are needed to reduce delays in legal proceedings. It unveiled two bills last month, although the supplied material does not provide their full contents. The protest places the opposition and the government at odds over how the judiciary should be managed and how court backlogs should be addressed.
The available report does not state when parliament will debate the bills, how the proposed retirement age would change or whether the government has responded directly to the demonstration.
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