The Court of Appeal today ordered that the writ petition filed by former Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, Chaminda Kularatne, against the Speaker and several others be called on July 20 for support.

The petition seeks a declaration that the decision to suspend his services was unlawful.

The petition was taken up before a Court of Appeal bench comprising President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya, and Justice Priyantha Fernando, said Ada Derana reporter.

Appearing for the petitioner, President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena informed the court that he was ready to support the petition.

Accordingly, President’s Counsel K. Kanag-Iswaran, appearing for the Speaker, who has been named as a respondent, informed the court that he intended to raise preliminary objections regarding the maintainability of the petition.

President’s Counsel Nigel Hatch, appearing on behalf of Ministers Bimal Rathnayake and Anil Jayantha, who have also been named as respondents, and Attorney-at-Law Chamara Nanayakkrawasam, appearing for another respondent, likewise stated that they intended to raise preliminary objections regarding the petition.

After considering the facts presented, the Court of Appeal bench ordered that the petition be called on July 20 for support.

The petition was filed by former Deputy Secretary General of Parliament and Attorney-at-Law Chaminda Kularatne, who claims that the Speaker’s decision to suspend his services without conducting a fair inquiry is unlawful. He has sought the issuance of a writ order to quash the decision.