SC defers hearing of appeal seeking to annul acquittal of ex-Minister Premalal Jayasekara
February 14, 2026 10:31 am
The Supreme Court has ordered the postponement of the hearing of an appeal seeking to invalidate a Court of Appeal verdict that acquitted former Minister Premalal Jayasekara, who had previously been sentenced to death on murder charges, until September 4.
The appeal was submitted by the parties aggrieved by the murder, said Ada Derana reporter.
The appeal was called before a three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz.
The Supreme Court scheduled the hearing for September 4 after accepting a submission that the State Counsel appearing for the Attorney General was indisposed due to illness.
Premalal Jayasekara was previously sentenced to death by the Ratnapura High Court after being found guilty of a murder committed during a shooting at a political rally of then-presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena during the 2015 Presidential Election period.
Following an appeal filed by Jayasekara against the death sentence, the Court of Appeal ordered his acquittal and release.
Accordingly, the aggrieved parties have filed this petition in the Supreme Court, seeking to invalidate the Court of Appeal’s decision on the grounds that it is contrary to the law and requesting the enforcement of the sentence.
