The Court of Appeal today ordered the release of a female Attorney who had been remanded by the Puttalam High Court on charges of contempt of court on 28 March.

High Court Judge of Puttalam Nadee Aparna Suwandurugoda remanded the Attorney on charges that the lawyer entered court without bowing, which allegedly amounts to not showing due respect.

The other charge against the lawyer alleges that the said lawyer intentionally addressed Court without due respect when she appeared for an accused for a bail hearing on March 7.

However, taking into consideration the urgent hearing called for by the BAR Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) on behalf of the female Attorney, the Court of Appeal  issued the following interim orders;

• An INTERIM ORDER suspending the decision/determination of the 1st Respondent to commit the 5th Respondent to jail/custody, by the Order dated on or around 28/3/2025 in Case Number NWP/HC/PUT/SPL/02/2025, until the final determination of this application, subject to such terms and/ or conditions, if any, as to Your Lordships’ Court sees fit;
• In conjunction with the above order, an INTERIM ORDER directing the 3rd and 4th Respondents and/or their servants, agents or successors, to forthwith release the 5th Respondent from custody, subject to such terms and/or conditions, if any, as Your Lordships’ Court sees fit;

A group of lawyers, including Saliya Peiris (PC) and Faisz Musthapha (PC), appeared for the female Attorney. (Newswire)

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Court of Appeal President Nissanka Bandula Karunarathna, against whom the National People’s Power (NPP) government was preparing to move an impeachment motion, has handed over his letter of resignation to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, it was reported. 

According to the state newspaper Dinamina, therefore, the government has decided to halt the impeachment motion that was supposed to be brought to oust Justice Karunarathna.

Justice Karunarathna has informed President Dissanayake that he has decided to resign with effect from 01 February 2025.

He was due to retire on 16 June this year upon reaching 63 years, the retirement age for Appeal Court judges.

Earlier, it was reported that the government was planning to bring an impeachment motion against Justice Karunarathna, allegedly citing his recent performance.

Nissanka Bandula Karunarathna, who started his judicial career as a magistrate and later became the President of the Court of Appeal, was recommended to be appointed to the Supreme Court by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

However, the Constitutional Council rejected the former President’s nomination, while an attorney-at-law subsequently filed a fundamental petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Constitutional Council’s decision. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition in December last year. 

According to media reports, the Government is considering using some of the observations made by the Supreme Court in its judgment as the basis for its impeachment motion against Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunarathna. (Newswire)

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The National Procurement Commission of Sri Lanka is investigating the procedure followed by the former government related to the tender awarded for the procurement of electronic passports.

The Court of Appeal was informed in this regard by Additional Solicitor General Sumathi Dharmawardena, representing the Attorney General.

The Additional Solicitor General further informed the court that the National Procurement Commission has sought a week to present its observations related to its investigation.

The details were conveyed when the petition filed by Epic Lanka Private Limited challenging the former government’s decision to procure 750,000 regular passports and 5 million e-passports from two foreign companies was taken up for hearing yesterday (02 Dec). 

Taking into consideration the facts presented during the hearing, the Court of Appeal fixed the case for January 23, 2025. (Newswire)

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The Court of Appeal has decided to take up for consideration the petition related to the Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee on Monday, November 20, 2023.

The case will be taken up for consideration under a new panel of judges of the Court of Appeal. 

The move comes after a total of three judges had recused themselves from hearing the motion filed by Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe to revoke the stay order against the recently appointed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Interim Committee.

Earlier today, Justice Neel Iddawela recused himself from the case, stepping down from the two-judge bench consisting of himself and Justice D. N. Samarakoon.

On Tuesday (Nov 14), the President of the Court of Appeal Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne recused himself from hearing the motion citing the unfair criticism of him by the Sports Minister, some members of the Cabinet members, and some Parliamentarians recently.

The lawyer representing the Sports Minister had also objected to Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne hearing the petition. Thereafter, the petition was moved to another court to be heard before another judge bench of the Court of Appeal.

However, Justice Dhammika Ganepola had also recused himself from the two-judge bench consisting of Justice Sobitha Rajakaruna, citing personal reasons. The case was once again forwarded to name a new judge bench to hear the petition. (NewsWire)

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New appointments have been made to the Court of Appeal by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), High Court Judge M.C.B. Sanjeeva Morais took oaths as a judge of the Court of Appeal.

Meanwhile, Court of Appeal Judge Sobitha Rajakaruna was sworn in as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal. (NewsWire)

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