Hearing of petitions filed against the government’s new Anti-Terrorism Bill got underway before a five-member Supreme Court judge bench this morning (Jan.26).

Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Justices A.H.M.D. Nawaz, Shiran Gunaratne and Arjuna Obeysekera sat for the petition hearing.

At least 27 petitions have been put forward against the proposed legislation which seeks to replace the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Among the petitioners are His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, General Secretary of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Ranjith Madduma Bandara, National People’s Power (NPP) MP Vijitha Herath, Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), Socialist Youth Union (SYU), Duminda Nagamuwa of Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) and the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU).

The Attorney General has been listed as the respondent of these petitions filed seeking a Supreme Court order mandating a parliamentary vote with a two-thirds majority and a referendum to pass the Bill, which was tabled in the parliament on January 10.

They say the Bill, if passed in its current form, would grant unlimited powers to the Tri-Forces, the Police and the Coast Guard to make unwarranted arrests without reasonable suspicion, and this is a violation of the fundamental rights including the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution.