Chief Justice Asoka de Silva has said it may be better if Sri Lanka re-considers the system as it is always good to have a combined opinion especially on appointments and changes to the judiciary than one person’s discretionary power, Sandeshaya the BBC’s Sinhala service reported.
In an interview to Sandeshaya, the Chief Justice said efforts to reduce the sweeping powers of the executive president failed because of the actions of Sri Lanka’s opposition.
He said the status quo of the 1978 constitution that authorized the executive president to make all senior appointments to the judiciary was re-established by the 18th Amendment as a result.
“Before the 17th Amendment, the president or the prime minister had the discretionary power to make appointments to the judiciary,” the Chief Justice told Sandeshaya.
“The 17th Amendment was brought to change that discretionary power,” the CJ said.