Easter Sunday Attack Probe – Objections Raised Against Naming President As A Respondent In Petitions

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Easter Sunday Attack Probe - Objections Raised Against Naming President As A Respondent In Petitions
Easter Sunday Attack Probe - Objections Raised Against Naming President As A Respondent In Petitions

A hot debate goes on among legal circles in Sri Lanka these days regarding whether to remove President Ranil Wikramasinghe’s name appeared as a respondent in the many fundamental rights petitions filed at the Supreme Court on the Easter Sunday attacks carried out in 2019 due to the powers vested with the executive presidency.

The lawyers appeared at the Supreme Court behalf of the President Ranil Wikramasinghe had made a request yesterday (July 26) from the seven bench Judge panel of the Supreme Court that the Fundamental rights petition filed by many factions cannot be carried forward the President Wikranasinghe’s name as a respondent because he was elected as the President.

Attorney at law Suren Fernando who appeared for President Wikramasinghe has raised an objection before the court today and said that as his client was elected as the executive president a case cannot be conducted against him as per the article 35 of the Sri Lanka’s constitution.

However many factions had opposed this remark and the lawyers representing the former President Maithripala Sirisena who is also named as a respondent of the fundamental rights petitions filed on Easter Sunday attacks had raised objections before the seven judge panel.

Amidst objections, the Supreme court requested the lawyers representing behalf of the former President Maithripala Sirisena to make their submissions today. Several factions including the Sri Lanka Bar association had filed 12 fundamental rights petitions on Easter Sunday attacks.