Considering of petitions against Presidential pardon for Gnanasara Thero to get underway on Dec. 5

The Supreme Court today ordered that on December 5, the two petitions moving court to declare that the President’s decision to release Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero on a general amnesty which violates the Constitution would be taken up for consideration.

These petitions were filed by Sandhya Ekneligoda, the wife of disappeared journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda and the Centre for Policy Alternatives.  

The case was taken up today before a three-member bench of judges comprising Justices Sisira de Abrew, Prasanna Jayawardena and Vijith Malalgoda. The three-member judge bench ordered that the petitions be taken up in December to confirm facts.

The Appeal Court sentenced Ven. Gnanasara Thero to six years of hard labour in prison after finding him guilty of contempt of court.

The petitioners claim that the President’s decision to grant a general amnesty to a person thus sentenced to prison contravenes the Constitution and hence requests the Supreme Court to return a verdict that their fundamental rights have been violated.