Govt. refuses to accept SC’s interim order on IGP

The government today refused to accept the Supreme Court's interim order preventing Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon from functioning in his post. 

Making a special statement in Parliament, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena stated that there is no legal provision for President Ranil Wickremesinghe to appoint an Acting IGP, as suggested by the SC. The PM further added that Mr Tennakoon continues to occupy the post of IGP as it has not fallen vacant. 

The PM stressed that the appointment of the IGP has been made by the President subject to the approval of the Constitutional Council (CC) and that the courts cannot issue rulings on the CC's power to give such approval, which is a power vested with the legislature. 

Mr Gunawardena called on the Speaker to intervene in the matter to affirm the supremacy of Parliament, and to declare the SC's interim order to be null and void. 

A three-judge bench of the SC comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Achala Wengappuli, and Mahinda Samayawardhena issued the interim order preventing Mr Tennakoon from functioning as the IGP on Wednesday (24). The SC gave the interim order as it granted leave to proceed for nine Fundamental Rights petitions that had been filed before it challenging the constitutionality of Mr Tennakoon's appointment as the IGP. The interim order is valid until November 11.