Government Openly Interfering in Judiciary, Claims Saman Ratnapriya
02-Aug-2026.
Former Member of Parliament Saman Ratnapriya has accused the Government of attempting to interfere in the judiciary through its proposal to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 years.
Addressing a media briefing in Colombo on July 31, Ratnapriya said Cabinet had already approved the relevant proposal and that the required legislative amendment would now have to be passed in Parliament.
He described the move as a serious issue, arguing that there was no justifiable reason to increase the retirement age. Despite widespread opposition from various sections of society, he alleged, the Government was determined to proceed with the amendment.
Ratnapriya further claimed that the present administration, which came to power on promises of reform, had failed to fulfil its commitments or meet public expectations.
He alleged that corruption, fraud, theft, violence and killings continued across the country and argued that the Government was seeking to amend the Constitution primarily to protect itself politically and suppress opposition parties and public protests.
He noted that around 4,000 lawyers had unanimously opposed the proposal at an extraordinary general meeting of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, while the Judges' Association of the Court of Appeal had also expressed strong objections.
According to Ratnapriya, no judges, lawyers or legal experts had supported the proposal, and the Government alone appeared to be pushing for the amendment.
He further argued that the Constitution should not be amended merely to suit the interests of those in power, warning that such action would undermine democracy.
Ratnapriya pointed out that there are currently four vacancies in the Supreme Court, four vacancies in the Court of Appeal, and 17 vacancies in the lower courts. Filling these vacancies, he said, would be the appropriate solution to delays in the judicial system rather than extending the retirement age of judges.
He urged the Government to abandon what he described as politically motivated manoeuvres and instead focus on measures that genuinely benefit the country.
