Supreme Court issues notice

By Stanley Samarasinghe-2013-04-30  The Supreme Court after considering an appeal filed by Attorney General (AG) Palitha Fernando against a judgment of the Court of Appeal today issued a notice on former Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake and Parliamentarians R. Sampanthan and Vijitha Herath, returnable on 29 May. Bench comprised Saleem Marsoof, and Justices Sathya Hettige, Eva Wanasundara. AG supporting the appeal submitted to court that the judgment was delivered by the Court of Appeal in favour of former Chief Justice Bandaranayake and issued writ of certiorari preventing the implementation of the Parliamentary Select Committee report. AG contended that according to Parliamentary Privilege Act no court can issue a writ or an order on Parliament and that judgement is a bad precedent. Even according to 140 of the constitution, the court cannot issue a writ or an order to Parliament and its activities. The removal of Supreme Court Judges on disciplinary action had been taken away from the court and entrusted to Parliament by Constitution, AG argued before the court. Any citizen of the country can file a petition of this nature as public interest litigation and request the court to declare this judgement null and void, AG submitted. Court ordered to submit written submission within 4 weeks and issued notice on former CJ and two Parliamentarians.(Ceylon Today Online)

Foreign intervention in Sri Lanka counterproductive: Peiris The HinduSri Lankan External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris. File photo: V. Sudershan April 29, 2013 Foreign intervention in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs — such as the pursuit of social harmony — will be counterproductive, Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris said here on Monday. He was speaking at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies. The event marked the inauguration of a series of discussion on Sri Lanka’s National Policy on Social Integration. “We do not comment on the domestic affairs of other nations. We respect their sovereignty. Sri Lanka expects reciprocity in that regard,” he said.