Judges’ retirement age could rise as the government cites longer life expectancy, professional vacancies and Sri Lanka’s court backlog.
The proposed increase in judges’ retirement age aims to reduce Sri Lanka’s court backlog and provide faster relief to the public, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said.
The Health and Media Minister made the remarks while addressing the media about the government’s planned judicial reforms.
He said the administration had promised in its election policy statement to ease the hardship caused by delayed court cases. Expanding the judicial system was essential to fulfil that commitment, he added.
Explaining the proposal, Jayatissa said Sri Lanka’s life expectancy had risen considerably since the current retirement limits were established.
“When the judges’ retirement age was determined in 1978, the life expectancy at birth in the country was around 66 to 67 years,” he said.
“However, today, with improved healthcare facilities, it has risen to 76 to 78 years.”
Recent World Bank data place Sri Lanka’s life expectancy at birth at about 77.7 years in 2024, broadly supporting the minister’s current estimate.
Jayatissa also cited professional migration and resulting vacancies as reasons for considering longer judicial service.
The Constitution currently fixes retirement at 65 for Supreme Court judges and 63 for Court of Appeal judges.
The minister noted that previous governments had increased the number of judges in both superior courts without making a corresponding change to their retirement ages.
He said raising the judges’ retirement age could retain experienced professionals, strengthen judicial capacity and improve public confidence in the justice system.
