A special general meeting of the Bar Association today due to the retirement age of judges.

In light of the government's decision to revise the retirement age of judges in Sri Lanka, a special general meeting will be held today (July 29, 2026) at the headquarters of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) in Colombo to decide on the future legal and professional actions to be taken by the BASL.

According to this new proposal, which received Cabinet approval on July 27, the retirement age of Supreme Court judges is to be increased from 65 to 67 years, and that of Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65 years. Additionally, the government's attention has been drawn to extending the retirement age limits for judges serving in High Courts, District Courts, and Magistrate's Courts in a similar manner. These amendments will require changes to the Constitution.

Government officials point out that the main objectives of this step are to retain the services of senior judges with long-term experience within the judicial system and to expedite the hearing and conclusion of the large number of pending cases in the courts. The government has also stated that there is no need for a referendum for this constitutional amendment.

However, several leading organizations in the legal field, including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, have expressed strong opposition to this government plan. They argue that suddenly changing these age limits, which have remained unchanged since the introduction of the 1978 Constitution, without transparent and broad stakeholder consultation, will severely damage the independence of the judiciary and the public's trust in the judicial system.

Furthermore, the Judicial Service Association (JSA), representing District Judges and Magistrates, has also unanimously rejected this proposal, warning that extending the service period in this manner will significantly delay the promotions of young and talented judges in the field.

Making a special statement regarding this situation, Mr. Rajeev Amarasuriya, President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, pointed out that this is by no means a personal issue related to any single judge, but an extremely important national matter linked to protecting the independence of the judiciary, constitutional principles, and public trust. Stating that such constitutional changes should only occur with full transparency and adherence to proper procedures, he urged all members to join this special general meeting, which will be held today at 11:00 AM, to discuss and make decisions on this matter at length. At today's meeting, a final decision is expected to be reached regarding the decisive actions to be taken by the Bar Association against this crisis.