Sri Lanka government proposes contentious judicial reform package

Sri Lanka's government unveiled sweeping judicial reforms on Tuesday that it says will slash a huge case backlog, despite criticism from lawyers and opposition parties that the measures threaten judicial independence.

Two bills put forward in parliament would increase the number of courthouses, create new appeals courts outside the capital, raise the retirement age of judges by two years and recruit additional justices and staff.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says the measures will streamline the criminal justice system and address staffing shortages across law enforcement and the courts.

But the private bar association opposes them, calling the change to the retirement age an attempt to prolong the tenure of a chief justice seen as close to Dissanayake.

Sri Lanka's courts face a backlog of about 1.1 million cases, official figures show.

Criminal prosecutions typically take around 17 years to conclude, while civil litigation can drag on for decades.

Dissanayake's government is proposing a constitutional amendment to expand the Court of Appeal from 20 judges to 25, and establish 10 new High Courts.