The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has raised these concerns in a confidential letter to the government of Sri Lanka, it said in a statement.
The proposed 19th Amendment to the constitution limits the term of the Chief Justice to five years and gives the president of Sri Lanka the authority to appoint the Secretary to the Judicial Services Commission.
"We believe that it is by providing judges with a permanent or long-term mandate that their independence will be maximized, as will public confidence in the judiciary," said Sternford Moyo, IBAHRI Co-Chair.
"We do not consider the five years proposed by the 19th Amendment to equate to appropriate security of tenure.
"Further, we are concerned that the appointment of the Secretary to the Judicial Services Commission, a key judicial instit