Negombo DC to decide if case on Easter Sunday compensation claim could proceed

The Negombo District Court today reserved an order for December 15 to decide whether a case for compensation for Easter Sunday victims should be laid by or continued.

Negombo Additional District Judge Nuwan Tharaka Heenatigala considered 33 cases of 182 filed by families of the Easter Sunday attack at the Katuwapitiya church.

The court said it would give a ruling on these cases if they could be considered after lawyers representing former President Maithripala Sirisena took up the position that if permission is granted to lay off against former Prime Minister and current President Ranil Wickremesinghe who has been named as a respondent, the cases against other defendants too should be laid off.

Attorney-at-law Trevor Fernando, appearing on behalf of President Wickramasinghe, told courts that since the President is entitled to immunity, these cases should be laid by.

Defending former President, Sirisena, President's Counsel Faizer Mustapha pointed out that if the court decides to lay by the cases against the President there should be similar relief to the other defendants as in terms of the Plaints filed the liability of the Defendants are held jointly and severally.

Senior Counsel Varuna Senadhira  appearing for the plaintiffs told the courts that in keeping with the determination of the Seven-Judge-Bench of the Supreme Court, they do not dispute the immunity of the President, but that immunity would cease after the President relinquishes his post. 

Former Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former IGP  Pujith Jayasundara and former Chief of State Intelligence Service Nilantha Jayawardane are the other defendants in this case. (By Manopriya Gunasekara)