A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court has dismissed several petitions that requested a declaration stating judges should be exempt from paying income tax on their salaries.
The decision was delivered by a five-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Shiran Gooneratne, Janak De Silva, Mahinda Samayawardhena, and Arjuna Obeyesekere.
By dismissing the petitions filed by several associations representing judicial officers, the Supreme Court ruled that judges of the High Courts, District Courts, Magistrate’s Courts, and Labour Tribunals are legally bound to pay income tax.
