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FR petitions against IGP and former Defence Secretary: AG seeks fuller SC Bench
View(s):The Attorney General (AG) on Friday sought a fuller Supreme Court (SC) Bench to hear the Fundamental Rights (FR) Petitions filed against Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary (DS) Hemasiri Fernando, over the Easter Sunday bombings.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Farzana Jameel, appearing for the AG, informed Court that the AG had already filed a motion seeking a fuller Bench of 5 or more Judges, as these Applications are of public importance.
Accordingly, the 3-Judge Bench comprising SC Justices Sisira de Abrew, Murudu Fernando and Gamini Amarasekara fixed the Petitions for support on June 6.
Several FR petitions have been filed against the IGP and then DS. They include one by Nandana Sirimanne, who lost his two children in the terrorist attacks, and another by Janak Withanage, a businessman engaged in the Tourism industry.
Petitioners claim that the IGP and the DS had been made aware of intelligence warnings about an imminent attack, in the days prior to April 21. Stating that the Respondents had not taken any action, despite the availability of this information, the Petitioners are seeking an order from the SC to investigate and prosecute them under the Penal Code.
Petitioners are seeking a declaration that the actions of the Respondents violated the Right of Equality before the Law and equal protection of the Law.
Attorney-at-Law Gamini Perera appeared for the Petitioners. Amuja Premaratne P.C. appeared for the former DS, while Attorney-at-Law Viran Corea appeared for the IGP.