Sri Lanka, July 31 -- Lawyers must act in the public interest and support reforms that strengthen the country's justice system, lawyer Manodhya Galpaya said, warning of the consequences if the legal profession fails to uphold that responsibility.

Speaking at a media briefing organised by the Lawyers for the Public Mandate in Colombo on Tuesday (28), Galpaya said the current Government had received a clear public mandate to safeguard judicial independence, uphold the rule of law, and ensure justice is delivered and seen to be delivered.

Referring to the proposal to increase the retirement age of judges, she said the measure is intended to retain the knowledge and experience of senior judges and help reduce the large backlog of cases pend...