News

AG urges that PSC is the authority for determining retirement age

Published

3 years ago

2023/04/2

The Attorney General has informed the Court of Appeal that the Public Service Commission (PSC) has the authority to make decisions regarding the retirement of all public servants, including doctors, and that the Court of Appeal does not have the power to issue orders in this regard.

Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, who appeared in court for the Attorney General, mentioned this when a writ petition filed by 176 medical specialists against their retirement at the age of 60 was called.

When the petition was taken up before a bench comprising Court of Appeal President Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and M.A.R. Marikkar on Wednesday, Pulle raised a preliminary objection regarding the petition.

He pointed out that according to the constitutional law, public servants should retire at the age of 60 and if the retirement age is extended by going beyond the said constitutional law, the Public Service Commission has the power to make related decisions.

The ASG submitted that the Appellate Court is not in a position to intervene and give orders and urging that this petition cannot be maintained.Accordingly, he requested the court to issue a notice to the respondents in this petition and dismiss it at the first stage without taking it to trial.

After considering the facts, the appellate court decided to announce its order on May 17 regarding whether to accept this preliminary objection or not.The interim order suspending the gazette notification issued regarding compulsory retirement of government employees who have completed 60 years of age only for doctors and specialists was extended until the next court date.

The petition was filed by a group of doctors specializing in various medical fields including heart disease and neurology.Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs, Cabinet of Ministers and several others have been named as respondents.

The petition states that specialist doctors could have worked till the age of 63 normally. The Cabinet has decided on 17-10-2022 to reduce the age limit to 60 years and retire all public servants.

President’s Counsel who represented the petitioners previously urged that the decision was illegal and it was their legitimate expectation to continue in service until at least the age of 63. Therefore, they requested the court to annul the government’s decision to set 60 years as the age of compulsory retirement.

Having considered these facts, the court issued an interim order suspending the gazette notification issued by the government deciding to retire public servants at the age of 60 only to specialists and doctors.

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Civil Security Department Members Contribute a Day’s Salary to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

11 mins ago

2026/01/25

Priyan

Members of the Civil Security Department have donated a day’s salary to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by cyclone Ditwah.

Accordingly, a cheque amounting to Rs. 40,870,686 was handed over on Thursday (22) at the Presidential Secretariat by the District Officer of the Civil Security Department G.Y.B. Perera to Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne and Director General of the Civil Security Department, Major General Palitha Fernando (Retired), were also present on the occasion.

News

Colombo Stock Exchange (GL 12) donates LKR 25 million to the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” Fund

Published

13 hours ago

2026/01/24

Priyan

The Colombo Stock Exchange (GL 12) has contributed LKR 25 million to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund.

The cheque was handed over to the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake by the Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange, Dimuthu Abeyesekera, the Chief Executive Officer Rajeeva Bandaranaike and Senior Vice Chairman Kusal Nissanka at the Presidential Secretariat.

News

Karu argues against scrapping MPs’ pension as many less fortunate members entered Parliament after ’56

Published

21 hours ago

2026/01/24

Thilina Walpola

Karu Jayasuriya

Former Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressing concerns over the proposed abolition of MPs’ pensions.The letter was sent in his capacity as Patron of the Former Parliamentarians’ Caucus.

In his letter, Jayasuriya noted that at the time of Sri Lanka’s independence, political participation was largely limited to an educated, affluent land-owning elite. However, he said a significant social transformation took place after 1956, enabling ordinary citizens to enter politics.

He warned that under current conditions, removing parliamentary pensions would effectively confine politics to the wealthy, business interests, individuals engaged in illicit income-generating activities, and well-funded political parties. Such a move, he said, would discourage honest social workers and individuals of modest means from entering public life.

Jayasuriya also pointed out that while a small number of former MPs, including himself, use their pensions for social and charitable purposes, the majority rely on the pension as a primary source of income.

He urged the President to give due consideration to the matter and take appropriate action, particularly as the government prepares to draft a new constitution.The Bill seeking to abolish pensions for Members of Parliament was presented to Parliament on 07 January by Minister of Justice and National Integration Dr. Harshana Nanayakkara.