Sri Lanka's Judges: Retirement age under scrutiny as population ages

Since 1991, the International Day of Older People has been observed on October 1 each year, worldwide. The 2025 United Nations International Day of Older Persons is observed under the theme “Older Persons Driving Local and Global Action: Our Aspirations, Our Well-Being and Our Rights”. Therefore, the “retirement age” is an ideal topic to discuss in this context.

- By Kamal Suneth Perera

By the introduction of the Minimum Retirement Age of Workers Act No. 28 of 2021, which came into law on November 17, 2021, the retirement age of the private sector employees increased from 55 years to 60 years. During the second reading of this Act in the parliament on the November 11, 2021, then Minister of Labour, justifying the new law to increase the retirement age from 55 to 60, stated that unlike the time where the retirement age as 55 years introduced, present Sri Lankan society has an improved health sector and thereby the life expectancy of an average person has increased to 74-76 years of age. Further, the Minister compared the life expectancy and the retirement age of several Asian countries.

The retirement age of public sector employees was 55 years, and depending on the service requirements of the relevant department, employees’ efficiency and employees’ request for extension, some of them were given service extensions, a year at a time and a maximum of five years. But it was never the right of the public sector employees to work after 55 years of their age.

By tthe Public Administration Circular: 02/2022 issued on January 6, 2022, the age of compulsory retirement of the public officers was increased to 65 years. Minister of Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government, by the extraordinary gazette No. 2263/5 issued on January 19, 2022, amended the Minutes of Pensions accordingly.

However, by the Public Administration Circular 19/2022, issued on September 14, 2022, the age of compulsory retirement for public officers was revised and fixed at 60 years of age.

Accordingly, as of now, both the private sector and the public sector have a mandatory retirement age of 60 years.