A lawyer filed a petition at the Appeal Court yesterday (29), complaining that MP Roshan Ranasinghe insulted the judiciary by making a statement in Parliament regarding the President of the Appeal Court Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne.
In the petition, a request has been made to hold a suitable inquiry against former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe in connection with the allegation of insulting the judiciary and imposing an appropriate punishment.
Attorney Dimitri Shiraz Augustus Pitranjali had submitted this petition.Former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has been named as the respondent in the petition. In this petition it is mentioned that on November 8, Minister Ranasinghe had made a statement in Parliament and submitted facts that insulted the Appeal Court President Judge. It was also stated that had caused much prejudice and damage to the professional life of the Judge and his character.
The petitioner has said that he has insulted the President of the Court of Appeal and that according to the accepted parliamentary tradition, it is not possible to make such statements
regarding Supreme Court Judges.It has been pointed out in the petition that accordingly, by making the relevant statement, former Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has insulted the court as mentioned in Article 105(3) of the Constitution.
Accordingly, the petitioner stating that the court should hold a hearing regarding this incident, therefore, by making the relevant statement, the petitioner requested to issue notice to the respondent, former minister Roshan Ranasinghe asking for the reasons for not punishing him for insulting the court by making the relevant statement.
Also, the petition has requested the court to file a Contempt of Court charge against him and hold a hearing and impose appropriate punishment against him for the charge of Contempt of Court.
This petition is going to be considered today (30) before a panel of judges consisting of Justices Lafar Thahir and Khema Swarnadhipathi.
Nelka Medagedera