A Colombo based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) filed a Petition in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka challenging the constitutionality of the Presidential appointment of Deshabandu Thennakoon as Inspector General of the Sri Lanka Police (IGP) on February 26.
In his petition, the Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu argued that Article 41C of the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka provides that such an appointment by the President cannot occur without approval from the Constitutional Council of Sri Lanka.
According to Article 41E, that approval should have at least 5 votes in favour. The Leader of the Opposition, who is a member of the Council, has alleged that the Council did not approve the appointment of the IGP with the minimum 5 votes, the CPA said.
As such the Petition, argued that the appointment of the IGP was unconstitutional. Furthermore, the Petition also argued that Mr Thennakoon is manifestly unsuitable for the role of IGP as the Supreme Court, in a fundamental rights case, found him to have engaged in torture (in the Supreme Court decision of SC (FR) 107/2011 Mr. Thennakoon was determined to have infringed Articles 11, 12(1), 13(1) and 13(2) of the Constitution.)
Essentially, his appointment as IGP will infringe Article 12(1) of the Constitution as it is arbitrary, grossly unreasonable and against the public trust, the CPA said.
A Thai woman walking topless in Arugam Bay town has been arrested by the Police.
The UK government has unveiled a package of reforms to simplify imports from developing countries which allows for more garments manufactured in Sri Lanka to enter the UK tariff-free.
The Cabinet has approved a proposal for Sri Lankans overseas to apply for their passports through an online system via the Lankan diplomatic missions.
Villagers in Nirmalapura, Daluwa, Norochcholai today staged a protest over an incident where a group of Navy officials and sailors had assaulted a resident in the area over night, Police said.
Leave Comments