By The Pulseline News Desk
The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) has called on the Government to submit the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution to a referendum, arguing that the changes directly concern the sovereignty of the people.
The decision was taken at a recent meeting of the party’s Political Committee, according to a statement issued by ITAK.
The party said the proposed constitutional changes should not be decided solely through Parliament, given their implications for the country’s judicial structure and the constitutional rights of the public.
ITAK has therefore urged the Government to allow the people to decide on the proposed amendment through a referendum.
The proposed 22nd Amendment includes a series of changes to the retirement ages of judges serving in the country’s courts.
Under the proposed changes, the retirement age of Supreme Court judges would be increased from 65 to 67 years, while the retirement age of Court of Appeal judges would be raised from 63 to 65.
The amendment also proposes increasing the retirement age of judges serving in the High Courts, District Courts and Magistrates’ Courts to 62 years.
The proposed changes have already generated considerable debate, particularly over whether changes to the retirement ages of superior court judges could affect the independence and functioning of the judiciary.
ITAK’s call for a referendum adds a further political dimension to the debate, placing the question of judicial retirement ages within the broader issue of constitutional reform and the exercise of sovereignty by the people.
The party has now urged the Government to take the proposed amendment directly to the public, arguing that the people should have the final say on the changes.
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