Statement on The 20th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka

We, the undersigned organisations, are deeply concerned about the impact the Sri Lanka 20th Constitutional Amendment Bill (the ‘Amendment Bill’) issued on 2 September 2020 would have on the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, if adopted. Of particular concern are the amendments proposed relating to the Judiciary and to the Judicial Services Commission. The adherence to the Commonwealth (Latimer House) Principles on the Accountability of and Relationship between the Three Arms of government (The Principles) and to the Commonwealth Charter was specifically affirmed by the Governmentof Sri Lanka. Principle…

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