Playing with the Constitution will undermine democracy; Harsha MP

16-Jul-2026

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Attempting to implement a proposal using government power despite public opposition demonstrates that the government does not respect democratic values, United People’s Power (Samagi Jana Balawegaya) Parliamentarian Dr Harsha de Silva said.

He made these remarks while commenting on the government’s efforts to extend the retirement age of Supreme Court judges.

Speaking further, he said:

“There is a need for a broader policy-level discussion regarding the retirement age of all sections of society, including not only judges but also teachers, doctors and grassroots workers.

Instead of doing so, suddenly bringing in a Bill to extend the service period of only certain judges and justices serving in the higher judiciary is completely contrary to democratic principles.

If an amendment to the Constitution is being made merely to extend the tenure of eight or sixteen individuals, then it is clearly an action driven by political necessity. Such a practice would politicise the country’s supreme constitutional law.

The country has already witnessed the disastrous consequences when parliamentary power was previously used to attempt to extend the President’s term and when a Chief Justice was removed from office.

Therefore, the government should not only listen to the voices of opposition parties on this matter but should also respect the views of academics, legal experts and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, and immediately abandon this improper course of action,” he said.