Three nominees for post of Chief Justice

The Constitutional Council will decide on a new Chief Justice from three names submitted by Pre s i d e n t Maithripala Sirisena.

The names to be recommended in that order are Justice Buveneka Aluvihare, Justice Sisira de Abrew and Jayantha Jayasuriya, the present Attorney General.

The present Chief Justice, Nalin Perera, will retire on April 29. A ceremonial farewell was accorded to him on Friday. The Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Courts, District Courts, Magistrate’s Courts judges, Attorney General Jayasuriya, representat ives of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and lawyers were present at the ceremony.

The CC is not expected to meet until after the National New Year. The CC Chairman, Karu Jayasuriya, is now on a visit to West Asia. He left on Friday night after his customary dinner to all MPs when Parliament concluded the third reading of the budget debate.

Justice Aluvihare is the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court followed by Justice Sisira de Abrew. Both Justice Aluvihare and Jayantha Jayasuriya j oined the Attorney General’s Department together.