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CLA President Observes 22nd Amendment Hearings, Raises Concerns Over Procedure
The Pulse
PoliticsGeneralHOTWednesday, September 2, 2026

CLA President Observes 22nd Amendment Hearings, Raises Concerns Over Procedure

TLDR

  • CLA President Steven Thiru flagged 4 procedural concerns on 22nd Amendment hearings.

  • Issues include denial of oral reply and bench composition.

  • Report highlights fairness, transparency, and public confidence issues.

  • He observed the Supreme Court hearing on September 2nd.

Steven Thiru, President of the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association (CLA), observed Supreme Court hearings on petitions challenging Sri Lanka's proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. Thiru expressed significant concern over the hearing's conclusion, noting that petitioners' counsel were denied an opportunity for oral reply and directed to submit written responses instead. He also reportedly discussed with legal professionals concerns about why a larger bench was not appointed for the case, given its importance to judicial independence. Thiru had previously warned Sri Lanka about potential judicial crises if constitutional changes were made without broad public consultation.

2 Updates

Update #3\u00b7 Sep 7 · 12:15 PM

Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) President Steven Thiru has released a report dated September 7th detailing 4 key procedural concerns arising from the Supreme Court's hearings on the 22nd Amendment Bill. The report highlights issues related to procedural fairness, transparency, and public confidence. Thiru attended the hearing on September 2nd as an observer at the invitation of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL).

Update #2\u00b7 Sep 2 · 10:31 PM

The President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) has expressed serious concern over the Supreme Court's hearing process for petitions challenging the 22nd Amendment Bill. Specific issues raised include the denial of oral reply rights for the petitioner's lawyers and concerns regarding the bench of judges, particularly in the final stages of the proceedings.

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