World · Sri Lanka Bureau
Fresh legal challenges mounted against 22nd Amendment
Two additional petitions have been filed in court challenging the validity of Sri Lanka's 22nd Amendment, with petitioners calling for a public referendum on the constitutional change.
LSN Sri Lanka ·
The latest legal challenges represent continued opposition to the 22nd Amendment following its passage through Parliament. The petitioners argue that the constitutional amendment should have been subjected to a referendum given its significance and the public interest involved.
The filing of multiple petitions reflects broader concerns within civil society and legal circles regarding the amendment process and whether sufficient public consultation took place before the constitutional change was implemented. The exact details and specific grounds cited in the two new petitions remain under judicial consideration.
These challenges add to the growing legal scrutiny facing the amendment as various interested parties seek to test its constitutionality in court. The Supreme Court will need to determine whether the petitions meet the requirements for judicial review and whether the grounds cited warrant intervention.
The outcome of these cases could have significant implications for constitutional governance in Sri Lanka and establish precedent regarding the threshold for requiring public referendums on major constitutional amendments.