Former Foreign Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday warned that any move by the government to extend the retirement age of superior court judges could have serious repercussions for Sri Lanka’s international standing, particularly ahead of the next session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), in Geneva, in September.

Addressing a media briefing, organised by the People’s United Opposition, at its Flower Road, Colombo office, Prof. Peiris claimed that attempts to interfere with the judiciary, through extensions of judges’ terms, would undermine the credibility of Sri Lanka’s courts and weaken the country’s position before the international community.

Prof. Peiris said there was widespread opposition to the proposal to extend the superior court judges’ tenure by two years, with lawyers’ organisations, academics and civil society groups expressing concerns over the move.

“There is no clarity whatsoever from the government’s side,” Prof. Peiris said, claiming that unlike in other countries where such proposals were subjected to lengthy public consultations, there had been no transparency regarding the government’s intentions.

He argued that if such extensions were granted to judges, similar privileges would have to be considered for other sectors, including the public service, university academics and medical specialists.

Prof. Peiris said the issue had gained greater significance due to Sri Lanka’s engagement with the UNHRC, which he described as having established a special investigative mechanism relating to the country.

He alleged that the politicisation of the judiciary would provide further grounds for international criticism against Sri Lanka, which was already facing scrutiny over alleged human rights issues.

“The next session of the UN Human Rights Council will be held in Geneva, in September,” Prof. Peiris said. “This issue will not only affect our country internally, but will also cause serious damage to Sri Lanka internationally.”

He claimed that Sri Lanka had previously defended itself against international interventions by highlighting the independence and reputation of its judicial system.

Referring to the country’s legal history, Prof. Peiris said Sri Lanka had possessed a judiciary respected globally, citing former Supreme Court Judge Dr. Christopher Weeramantry’s tenure as Vice-President of the International Court of Justice in The Hague as an example of international recognition of Sri Lankan judicial expertise.

He said that during his tenure as Foreign Minister, he had maintained that Sri Lanka’s own courts were capable of addressing domestic issues and that foreign intervention was unnecessary.

Prof. Peiris also referred to discussions he had held with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, claiming that both had supported Sri Lanka’s position that external interference in domestic matters should not be permitted.

However, he alleged that the current situation was different, claiming that the judiciary was being politicised through selective extensions of service while vacancies remained in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

He questioned why judicial vacancies had not been filled if the government’s stated objective was to reduce delays in the administration of justice.

“The responsibility of filling these vacancies lies with the executive,” he said, adding that the failure to do so could affect the international reputation of Sri Lanka’s judiciary.

Prof. Peiris also claimed that the Bar Association of Sri Lanka had repeatedly called for the vacancies to be filled, warning that the present developments could have an adverse impact on the country’s standing internationally.

He questioned whether it was justified to place Sri Lanka in a difficult international position to serve, what he described as, “a narrow and partisan political objective.”