Hands off Parliament, Ministers tell judiciary

Ministers ask Judiciary not to interfere with the parliamentary process on the impeachment motion

In a deepening conflict between the Judiciary and the Legislature, government ministers yesterday requested the Judiciary not to interfere with the parliamentary process with regard to the impeachment motion against Chief

Justice Shirani Bandaranayake.

Addressing a hurriedly-summoned news conference in the parliamentary complex, Minister Lakshman Seneviratne said the Judiciary should not interfere with this process.

“We do so with due respect to the Judiciary,” he said.

Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake said the Parliamentary Select Committee has started probing the charges against the Chief Justice based on a resolution submitted by 117 MPs. He said this action was taken in accordance with the Constitution, and the appearance of the Chief Justice before the select committee was a democratic step.

“The MPs who signed this resolution also want to make statements about this process. They have their side of the story regarding the allegations made against the Chief Justice. However,

The MPs who signed this resolution also want to make statements about this process. They have their side of the story regarding the allegations against the CJ

we refrain from doing so. We believe the stakeholders of the Judiciary will act with the same spirit,” he said. Minister John Seneviratne said the impeachment motion had been brought in terms of Article 107 of the Constitution. However, he said that there were statements critical of this constitutional process during the past few days.

“Our action is legally warranted. It is not something illegal,” he said.

Ministers Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Jagath Pushpakumara, Deputy Minister Gamini Vijithamuni Zoisa and MP Arundika Fernando also attended the news

conference.