Court decision on Ranjan’s seat on 31 March

The Court of Appeal has stated that the decision on whether to issue notice to the respondents of the writ petition filed by the imprisoned parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake for proceeding will be announced on the 31st of this month.

The writ petition filed by the Opposition parliamentarian who was sentenced to four years imprisonment with hard labour for contempt of court, requests the court to issue an order preventing the Parliament from working to annul his parliamentary seat.

The petition was heard for three days before a Bench comprising Court of Appeal President Justice Arjuna Obeysekera and Justice Mayadunne Correa.

When the petition was taken up before the Bench yesterday, the lawyers of both parties informed the court that written submissions related to the petition had been filed.

Attorney-at-Law Suren Fernando, who appeared for the petitioner Ranjan Ramanayake, requested the court to decide before 8 April as three months will be completed by then after the MP was sentenced.

After considering the facts presented, Judge Arjuna Obeysekera directed that the decision on whether to issue notice to the respondents to hear the petition be announced on the 31st.

The Secretary General of Parliament and the Attorney General have been named as respondents in this petition.

(Source: Daily FT)