Sri Lanka, Sept. 26 -- We have no issue with raising the retirement age of judges through the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. However, the reasons cited by the government for this increase are difficult for us to comprehend. We cannot accept the claim that extending the judges' retirement age is a measure to expedite the vast backlog of pending court cases as there are many other steps that should be taken to accelerate case proceedings, United National Party (UNP) Nuwara Eliya District MP Jeevan Thondaman told Parliament.

Addressing the House yesterday (25) during the second day of the parliamentary debate on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution and the Judicature (Amendment) Bills, he said that there are many other steps that sh...