Written submissions related to petitions challenging the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution are due to be filed before the Supreme Court today (3).

A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena has directed the parties involved to submit their written submissions before 3:00 p.m. today.

The Supreme Court concluded the hearing of the petitions challenging the 22nd Amendment Bill yesterday (2).

The hearing began on September 1, with 67 petitions filed challenging the proposed constitutional amendment. The Supreme Court also rejected a request for the matter to be considered by a full bench of judges.

The petitions have been filed by several individuals and organizations, including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the Sarvajana Balaya.

The petitioners have raised concerns over the constitutionality of the proposed amendment and have argued that certain provisions require approval by a two-thirds majority in Parliament as well as approval at a referendum.

The proposed 22nd Amendment seeks to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 years. It also proposes increasing the retirement age of Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65 years.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the five-member bench directed the petitioners to submit any written submissions by today.

The Supreme Court’s confidential determination on the constitutionality of the 22nd Amendment Bill is expected to be communicated to the Speaker of Parliament in accordance with the constitutional procedure.