AG seeks fuller bench to hear petition against IGP and fmr. Defence Secretary

The Attorney General’s Department has requested the Supreme Court for a fuller bench to consider the Fundamental Rights petition against the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the former Defence Secretary.

The FR petition has been filed against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Pujith Jayasundara for allegedly failing to act on prior information pertaining to the Easter Sunday terror attacks.

The petition was taken up before a three-judge bench consisting of Supreme Court Justices Sisira de Abrew, Murdu Fernando and Gamini Amarasekara this morning (31).

Additional Solicitor General Farzana Jameel, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, informed the court that the AG has requested from the Chief Justice through a motion to consider the petition before a fuller bench as the case is of national importance.

Attorney-at-law Gamini Perera, who is appearing on behalf of the plaintiffs, informed the court that he had no objections to the AG’s request for a fuller bench.

The judge bench ordered to submit the petitions to the Chief Justice to decide on the further steps and decided to take it up again on June 06. 

The petition was filed by a father, who had lost his son and daughter in the attack on April 21, accusing the IGP and the former Defense Secretary of infringing the fundamental rights of the people by failing to prevent the attacks on churches and hotels even when intelligence information had forewarned.