Inaugural meeting of Parliamentary Council to discuss appointments to Supreme Court tomorrow

The Parliamentary Council which was introduced under 20th Amendment replacing the Constitutional Council under previous 19th Amendment will be meeting under the patronage of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena tomorrow at 4 pm, Parliament said. 

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa are scheduled to attend the meeting. Prime Minister's nominee Minister Douglas Devananda and Opposition Leaders' nominee MP Kabeer Hashim will also participate. Fresh appointments to the Supreme Court expected to be discussed at the meeting. 

Earlier the Sunday Times reported that the Government is fasttracking the expansion of the Supreme Court bench from 11 justices to 17 under an amendment that was moved at the Committee Stage of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. 

The Court of Appeal bench will be increased  from the present 12 justices to 19.

Unlike the earlier ten-member Constitutional Council, the decision of the Parliamentary Council has no binding effect on the appointments by the President to top slots in government and in the judiciary since the new Council can only put forward observations.