UNP Lawyers’ Association restrained
Roshan Thushara
Colombo District Judge Dhammika Ganepola yesterday issued an
enjoining order precluding the new office- bearers of the UNP Lawyers’
Association elected at the recent party Working Committee meeting from
functioning in their new posts .
The enjoining order was issued against UNP leader Ranil
Wickremesinghe, 80 members of the UNP Working Committee and 13 members
of the Lawyers’ Association.
The case was filed by former Minister of Prisons and member of the
National Lawyers’ Association Mahen Gunasekera.
The plaintiff submitted to court that at the National Lawyers’
Convention in July 2009, attorney at law Upul Jayasooriya was elected
President and Gunaratne Wanninayake Secretary together with other office
-bearers and that the election of President’s Counsel Tilak Marapana and
the rest at the Working Committee meeting on July 19 this year was
illegal.
He called on court to prevent their functioning in their new
appointments made outside the party annual convention.
An affidavit was also submitted to court by MP Ranjith Madduma
Bandara, a participant at the Working Committee meeting stating the WC
meeting was unconstitutional..
A document was also produced where the UNP General Secretary informed
Gunaratne Wanninayake that the new Lawyers’ Association Secretary was
Nissanka Nanayakkara.
The petitioner stated that the arbitrary appointment of the Lawyers’
Association by Ranil Wickremesinghe and company was detrimental to the
UNP and its membership in facing future elections. The case will be
called up again on August 23 |
