⚖️ CLA President Raises Fairness Concerns Over 22A SC Hearing

Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) President Steven Thiru has raised procedural fairness concerns regarding the Supreme Court hearings on the proposed 22nd Amendment, citing international judicial standards without commenting on the case's merits. • Core Issue & Scope: The Supreme Court heard 67 petitions challenging the 22A draft bill, which proposes extending the retirement age of Supreme Court judges to 67 and Court of Appeal judges to 65. • Key Procedural Concerns: • Recusal & Bench Composition: BASL's motions for the Chief Justice's recusal (due to potential conflict of interest as a beneficiary) and for a full 17-judge bench were dismissed without detailed reasons. Four senior judges were omitted from the 5-member bench. • Oral Right of Reply: Petitioners' Counsel were denied oral replies on day two and directed to submit written replies instead, leading the BASL and several petitioners to withhold post-hearing submissions. • Economic & Governance Impact: Legal predictability, standard administrative practices, and judicial independence directly affect national governance, institutional stability, and investor confidence in Sri Lanka's legal system & financial market framework. _Note: The Supreme Court is constitutionally mandated to deliver its determination by September 8._