Interim order issued on compulsory retirement age of nurses

The Court of Appeal has issued an interim order suspending the implementation of a decision taken by the Cabinet of Ministers to reduce the mandatory retirement of government nurses to 60 years.

The Appellate Court bench consisting of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice A. Marikkar issued this order, after considering the petitions filed by a group including the Public Service United Nurses’ Union.
 

The petitioners claim that the recent decision taken by the Cabinet of Ministers to make it mandatory for nurses to retire at the age of 60 is unlawful, indicating that they are capable of remaining in employment until the age of 63.

The Court of Appeal, which considered the facts presented, issued this interim order, mentioning that it will remain in force until the hearing of the petition is concluded.

Minister of Public Administration Dinesh Gunawardena, the Secretary of the Public Administration Ministry, members of the Cabinet of Ministers, the President’s Secretary and the Attorney General have been named as respondents in the petition.