Several fundamental rights petitions challenging the presidential pardon given to ex-soldier Sunil Ratnayake were yesterday fixed for support by the Supreme Court.
Former Army Staff Sergeant R.M. Sunil Ratnayake, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the Mirusuvil murder case in 2000 had been released after he received presidential clemency.
Supreme Court Justice Priyantha Jayawardena recused himself from hearing the petitions, since he served as a member of the Supreme Court five-judge-bench, which heard the appeal petition filed by Sunil Ratnayake.
The Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Justice Priyantha Jayawardena, Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Yasantha Kodagoda fixed the petition for support on February 8.
Several petitioners including the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and its Executive Director Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu had filed the petitions naming Commissioner General of Prisons, the Justice Minister, the Secretary to the President and the National Authority for the Protection of Victims of Crimes and Witnesses as respondents.
The Petitioners say the decision to pardon Ratnayake is arbitrary, unreasonable, ultra vires and has not been done in the interest of the public.
R.M. Sunil Ratnayake, a staff sergeant of the Sri Lanka Army was sentenced to death by a Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar bench on June 25, 2015 after he was found guilty for murdering eight civilians at Mirusuvil in Jaffna on December 19, 2000.
On November 27, 2002, the Attorney General indicted five accused on 19 charges in the murder of eight civilians in Mirusuvil of the Jaffna peninsula before a High Court at Trial-at-Bar in Colombo. The Trial-at-bar bench found former Staff Sergeant R.M. Sunil Ratnayake guilty for multiple counts including the murder. On May 20, 2017, Supreme Court five-judge-bench had also unanimously affirmed the conviction and the death sentence imposed on former army staff sergeant.
Petitions challenging presidential pardon given to Sunil Ratnayake fixed for support [2020-09-24 16:58]
Several fundamental rights petitions challenging the Presidential pardon given to ex-soldier Sunil Ratnayake was today fixed for support by the Supreme Court.
Former army staff sergeant R.M. Sunil Ratnayake who was convicted and sentenced to death for the Mirusuvil murder case in 2000 had been released after he received Presidential Clemency.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court Justice Priyantha Jayawardena recused himself from hearing these petitions because he served as a member of the Supreme Court five-judge-bench which heard the appeal petition filed by Sunil Ratnayake. Accordingly, the Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Justice Priyantha Jayawardena, Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Yasantha Kodagoda fixed the petition for support on February 8. Several fundamental rights petitions challenging the Presidential pardon given to ex-soldier Sunil Ratnayake was yesterday fixed for support by the Supreme Court.
