The 22nd Constitutional Amendment Bill is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament tomorrow and then included in the agenda.
Under this amendment, the retirement age of Supreme Court judges is scheduled to be extended from 65 to 67 years and that of Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65 years.
The government says that the purpose of this proposed amendment is to minimize the backlog of cases in the judicial system and to ensure the continued availability of senior judges. However, opponents say that it is more important to strengthen the support structure of the judicial system rather than extending the retirement age of judges to address the backlog. Accordingly, they point out that cases can be expedited by increasing the staff of institutions such as the Attorney General’s Department and the Analyst’s Department and other relevant facilities.
However, objections have been raised from various parties, including the Bar Association, as well as international organizations, that this amendment may affect the independence of the judiciary.