Sri Lanka, Aug. 8 -- A group of lawyers on Thursday (6) called for strict separation between the executive and the judiciary, warning that the proposed constitutional amendment to extend the retirement age of judges and the Chief Justice risked judicial independence. The remarks were made at a media briefing organised by Lawyers for Democracy in Colombo.

Lakshan Dias, a lawyer and member of the collective, said the Government should not pursue individual agendas while governing the country, stressing that there must be no interference to the judiciary by the executive or the legislature. He said the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), as the foremost stakeholder on the matter, was not a trade union but was responsible for safeguarding ...