Professor files petition at Supreme Court in favour of bill to abolish death penalty

A professor has filed a petition at the Supreme Court seeking to rule that the private member's bill proposing to abolish the death penalty is not unconstitutional.

The petitioner, Professor Kamina Gunaratne, had stated that the fundamental right of persons to live was being violated by implementing capital punishment. Lawyer Manjula Balasuriya appeared for the petitioner.

Prof. Gunaratne argued that the private member’s bill put forward to Parliament on August 1 by parliamentarian Bandula Lal Bandarigoda was not in violation of any clause in the constitution as it had been prepared in line with international guidelines.

She also stated that the bill had been drafted in keeping with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and that it could be passed with a simple majority in Parliament.

Accordingly, the petitioner sought a court order to declare the bill as a legal document and to inform the Speaker on the ruling.

The petition had been put forward to court in the wake of President Maithripala Sirisena's remarks this week that the Attorney General had informed him that the bill was unconstitutional.

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