Petitions challenging 20A to be considered today
September 29, 2020 09:32 am
The petitions filed against the draft bill of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution are to be taken up for consideration today (29).
Five-member judge bench of the Supreme Court, chaired by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, is hearing the 39 petitions challenging the draft bill.
The judge bench consists of Supreme Court Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Sisira de Abrew, Priyantha Jayawardhane and Vijith Malalgoda.
Eighteen petitions in total had been filed as of Friday (25) and today is the final day to file petitions against the proposed constitutional amendment.
However, 21 more petitions were filed on Monday (28) before the Supreme Court challenging the proposed draft bill.
The Attorney General has been named as the respondent of the petitions.
Election Commission member Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Youth Wing Chairman Mayantha Dissanayake and Attorney-at-Law P. Liyanaarachchi of the Sirilaka Janatha Peramuna, Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL), former Governor and Executive Director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) Ranjith Keerthi Tennakoon, human rights activist Abdul Zanoon, are among those who have filed petitions.
