The Court of Appeal today ordered the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) to implement the law requiring licences for the transportation of sand, soil and clay as before.
The Cabinet of Ministers suspended the law requiring licences for the transportation of sand, soil and clay in December 2019.
The ruling was announced when the case filed by Environmentalist Hemantha Withanage in this regard was taken up for hearing.
The Acting IGP was also instructed to take legal action against those transporting sand and soil without valid permits.
Ravindranath Dabare, the Lawyer representing Withanage, said via Facebook that the Court also announced that communications issued earlier halting the permits have no validity.
The Attorney General accepted that the Cabinet of Ministers has no power to alter the law by way of a cabinet decision, he pointed out.
Dabare added that the court ruling was a reasonable victory on behalf of nature. (Newswire).
