37 petitions filed in 2 days challenging the 22nd Amendment

37 petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the 22nd Constitution Amendment Bill to extend the retirement age of judges.

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara presented the relevant bill to Parliament the day before yesterday (18).

This comes against the backdrop of several parties, including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, expressing opposition to the new constitutional amendment.

Yesterday, on the very first day the bill was presented to parliament, six petitions were filed in the Supreme Court challenging it.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka, Professor G.L. Peiris, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, the Sarvajana Balaya Party, and the Independent Attorneys Association were among the parties that filed petitions, with several requesting a full bench for the hearing.

Petitions against the 22nd Constitutional Amendment can be filed before the Supreme Court within the next two weeks, after which the Supreme Court must inform the Speaker of its opinion within three weeks.