October 14, Colombo (LNW): A motion advocating for the extension of the retirement age for judges serving in Sri Lanka’s higher judiciary has been listed in the latest Parliamentary Order Book Supplement.
This initiative appears in Supplement to the Order Book No. 2, released on 10 October, and comes in the form of a private member’s motion submitted by President’s Counsel and Member of Parliament Faizer Musthapha.
Citing international practices where judicial retirement ages tend to be higher, the MP has argued for aligning Sri Lanka’s retirement thresholds with global standards. The proposal outlines a series of increases across three judicial levels: raising the retirement age for Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 years, for Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65 years, and for High Court judges from 61 to 63 years.
The motion is expected to be taken up for debate in Parliament following the conclusion of the upcoming budget discussions, likely next year.
Although this particular proposal has been introduced by an opposition MP, there had been prior speculation within political circles suggesting that the government itself was considering similar measures to extend the retirement age of both senior judges and the Attorney General.
