22nd Constitutional Amendment Set for Parliamentary Debate on September 24

The proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution is scheduled to be debated in Parliament on September 24, following a decision by the Committee on Parliamentary Business.

The Committee, which met today (10) at the Parliamentary Complex, decided to allocate parliamentary time during the next sitting week for the debate on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill.

Accordingly, the 22nd Amendment Bill will be taken up for debate on September 24, while the Judicature (Amendment) Bill will be considered at the Second Reading stage on September 25.

The proposed constitutional amendments seek to make changes to provisions governing the judiciary, particularly those relating to the tenure and retirement age of judges.

Proposed Changes to Judges’ Retirement Age

A key provision of the proposed 22nd Amendment is an increase in the mandatory retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67.

The retirement age of Court of Appeal judges is also proposed to be increased from 63 to 65.

The amendment further proposes that the Chief Justice retire upon reaching the age of 67 or completing six years in office, whichever comes first.

The Government has presented the proposed changes as part of broader efforts to strengthen the judicial system, improve