Petitions against 20A: further consideration postponed to Friday

The Supreme Court concluded the considering of petition filed challenging the 20th Amendment to the Constitution for the second day.

Further consideration of the applications will resume at 9.30 a.m. on Friday (October 02), Ada Derana reporter said.

Consideration of the petitions had commenced at 7.20 a.m. this morning for the second day before the five-member judge bench consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Supreme Court justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Sisira de Abrew, Priyantha Jayawardhane and Vijith Malalgoda.

Ada Derana reporter said that attorneys appearing on behalf of 32 of the petitions filed challenging the proposed constitutional amendment concluded their statements today.

The court then postponed further consideration of the petitions until Friday (02) while the statements on the remainder of the petitions are expected to be delivered on that day.

Thirty-nine petitions in total had been filed against the draft bill of the 20th Amendment, citing the Attorney General as the respondent.

The petitions have been put forward by 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 and many others.

When the petitions were taken up yesterday, Attorney General Dappula de Livera informed the court that the Government has decided to add several amendments to the draft of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution during the committee stage in Parliament.