Seven Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed challenging the appointment of Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon as the IGP in the acting or permanent capacity were re-fixed for hearing on April 2 by the Supreme Court yesterday (27).
Colombo Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, former SJB Parliamentarian Mujibur Rahman and five other parties had filed these petitions after Tennakoon was appointed as the Acting IGP by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on November 29, 2023 for a period of three-months.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Nerin Pulle, PC and President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva appearing for the respondents including IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, informed the Court that these petitions are no longer valid and should not be considered any further as Tennakoon’s appointment as IGP had been confirmed by the President on the day before yesterday’s hearing.
Appearing for the petitioners, the counsels including President’s Counsels Saliya Pieris, Upul Kumarapperuma, and Geoffrey Alagaratnam informed the Court that the President making the Acting IGP’s appointment permanent while several petitions were being heard in the SC is against the rule of law. They pointed out that they have challenged the permanent appointment also in their petitions and therefore the hearing should be continued.
When Justice Preethi Padman Surasena inquired if the permanent appointment has been approved by the Constitutional Council (CC), ASG Pulle informed Court that the majority of members of the CC have approved the proposal.
The three-judge bench comprising Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Justice Achala Wengappuli and Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena, after considering the submissions and the latest situation relating to the appointment of the IGP, re-fixed the case for April 2. Both parties were also ordered to file other available documents relating to these petitions on that day.
Meanwhile, Manohara de Silva, PC appearing in Court, requested that the motion filed by several Buddhist monks to intervene in these petitions be fixed for hearing. The Supreme Court will inform its decision on whether to grant permission for the motion filed by the monks also on April 2.
(dailynews.lk)
