Court of Appeal President Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya has withdrawn from the bench hearing petitions challenging the decision by prison authorities requiring Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera to wear prison attire following the imposition of a prison sentence.
The decision was announced today (14), when the petitions seeking an order to invalidate the prison authorities’ decision were taken up for consideration.
Accordingly, a three-judge bench has been appointed to consider the petitions.
The petitions relate to Gnanasara Thera’s imprisonment following a court order directing prison authorities to enforce the remainder of his sentence for contempt of court.
In September this year, the Supreme Court annulled the presidential pardon granted to Gnanasara Thera by former President Maithripala Sirisena in May 2019.
Following the ruling, the Court of Appeal directed the Commissioner General of Prisons to take the necessary steps to enforce the remainder of his prison sentence.
Gnanasara Thera had originally been sentenced to six years in prison for contempt of court but had served only around nine months before receiving the presidential pardon in 2019. (Newswire)