Peace for the World

Peace for the World
First democratic leader of Justice the Godfather of the Sri Lankan Tamil Struggle: Honourable Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam

Monday, July 15, 2013

CJ Impeachment Cases – MPs Herath & Sampanthan Urge SC By Motion – Don’t Deny Us Rights Of A Party To An Appeal


Colombo TelegraphJuly 15, 2013
Vijitha Herath (Member of Parliament, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna – JVP) and R. Sampanthan (Member of Parliament – TNA) who are respondents in a controversial appeal filed by the Attorney General (AG) to reverse Appeal Court and Supreme Court rulings that held the kangaroo style Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) findings against Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake unconstitutional and illegal, have filed motions underscoring that they should not be denied their rights to be heard – both in objection to leave to appeal being granted, and also to raise any relevant questions of law if court decides to grant the AG leave to appeal.
Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake
Herath and Sampanthan were both members (from the Opposition) appointed to the PSC, who walked out in protest and disgust at the dishonest and improper way in which the majority government members acted and misbehaved. The way in which the inquiry was misconducted drew strong criticism and condemnation locally and internationally including from the legal profession (Bar Association of Sri Lanka – BASL) itself, which for the first time ever boycotted in protest, a sham ceremony organized by a few pro-government lawyers to welcome the de facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris who was installed to run the judiciary.
The Shirani Bandaranayake impeachment and Pieris appointment related cases are due to be taken up tomorrow (16.07.2013) morning by a ‘special bench’ made up of 5 judges. (See our earlier report). The court has been asked to make a ruling on the matters put down in the Motion tomorrow (16.07.2013).
The Colombo Telegraph is able to publish today the full text of the Motion filed in the Supreme Court Registry on behalf of Vijitha Herath, for the benefit of our readers: