SC to hear Slave Island residents’ FR petition

The Supreme Court yesterday (25) re-fixed the hearing of the fundamental rights petition filed by Slave Island residents against their eviction them from their properties for December 3.The three-Judge-Bench comprised Justices N.G. Amaratunga, S.I.Imam and S.E.Wanasundera.

The Court on September 13 granted the Petitioners leave to proceed for the alleged infringement of the petitioners fundamental rights to equality and equal protection of the law as well as the freedom to engage in any lawful occupation, business etc. The Court also issued order that Status Quo (existing state of affairs).

Petitioners are owners and/or in possession of their respective premises and buildings along Java Lane, Slave Island in the Colombo Metropolis. They claimed that the government was evicting them in order to give the land to the TATA Hous- ing Development Company free of charge. They cited the Colombo Divisional Secretary, Minister of Lands Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, Urban Development Authority, Its Chairman, Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the Attorney General and the local agent of TATA as Respondents.

Attorneys Sujeewa Senasinghe with Farman Cassim appeared for the Petitioners. Deputy Solicitor General Viraj Dayaratne with State Council Aranti

They claimed that the government was evicting them in order to give the land to the TATA Housing Development Company free of charge

Perera appeared for Minister of Lands and the Attorney General. Sanjeeva Jayawardena with Saritha Rupasinghe and Dinushika Dissanayake instructed by Sudath Perera Associates appeared for the UDA.