Hundreds of opposition lawmakers, lawyers, activists and trade union members took to the streets of Sri Lanka’s capital on Thursday, demanding the withdrawal of proposed judicial reforms that they claim could threaten the independence of the country’s judiciary.
The protest was held nearly two weeks after President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government submitted a constitutional amendment on judicial reforms to Parliament.
The proposed amendment seeks to raise the retirement age of the country’s senior judges by two years and increase the number of judges serving in the higher courts. The government has defended the move, saying the reforms are intended to reduce delays in the judicial system and will not compromise judicial independence, reports AP.
However, opposition parties and rights activists have accused the government of attempting to increase political influence over the judiciary.
Demonstrators gathered at Colombo’s main railway station carrying banners and placards with messages including “Don’t touch the judiciary” and “Stop reforms that tarnish judicial independence”.
Opposition lawmaker Ajith Perera described the proposed amendment as “draconian”, alleging that it was prepared without consulting judges, lawyers or other relevant stakeholders. He claimed the reforms were designed to allow political interference in the judiciary.
No parliamentary debate has been scheduled on the amendment so far. The proposal requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament for approval, a threshold the ruling National People’s Power party can achieve as it holds more than two-thirds of the seats.
Dissanayake won the presidency in September 2024, followed by his party’s victory in parliamentary elections later that year, amid widespread public anger over Sri Lanka’s severe economic crisis in 2022, which was blamed on years of mismanagement and corruption.
Since coming to power, his government has launched investigations into alleged corruption and misconduct linked to previous administrations, with dozens of former government officials and politicians facing scrutiny.
