The Court of Appeal yesterday issued a Show Cause Notice (SCN) ordering State Minister Sanath Nishantha to submit facts as to why he should not be punished by the Court for the charge of Contempt of Court.
Accordingly, the State Minister was ordered to appear before the Court of Appeal on October 13 to submit his facts why he should not be punished.
The order was made when two petitions seeking to file charges against State Minister Sanath Nishantha for a contemptuous statement made by him in relation to the Judiciary and the judicial officers, were taken up before the Court of Appeal bench comprising Justices Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and R.Gurusinghe. The petition says that State Minister Sanath Nishatha had made a contemptuous statement scandalizing the Judiciary and the Judicial officers, in response to a question raised by a Journalist at a press conference which was held at SLPP headquarters on August 23.
The petitions were filed by Attorneys Priyalal Chaminda Sirisena and Vijitha Kumara.The Petitions have cited State Minister Sanath Nishantha, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the Attorney General as respondents. The petitions seek an order to issue summons to the respondent in the first instance and direct the Attorney General to draft charges against State Minister Sanath Nishantha on the offence of Contempt of the Court under Article 105(3) of the Constitution.
The petitions further seek an order preventing State Minister Nishantha from committing, making and or publishing further contemptuous statements scandalizing the judiciary until the conclusion of the case. President’s Counsel Upul Jayasuriya and Saliya Peiris appeared for the petitioners. Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama appeared for the Attorney General.
by dailynews sri lanka
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