6 June 2023 04:13 pm Views - 1846
The Court of Appeal issued notices on former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen over a contempt of court application filed for his failure to comply with the orders by the Court of Appeal in connection with the Wilpattu National Park case.
In its judgment, the Appeal Court on 16 November, 2020 had issued an order in the nature of mandamus, ordering the Conservator General of the Department of Forest Conservation to take action to implement a tree planting programme in accordance with the provisions of the Forest Ordinance in any area equivalent to the reserve forest area used for re-settlement of IDPs.
The Court of Appeal further ordered former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen to bear the full cost of the tree planting programme in these areas, while applying the polluter pays principle.
When this contempt of court application was taken up before Court of Appeal Justice (President) Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice M.A.R. Marikkar, the notices were issued on Rishad Bathiudeen and the matter was fixed for support on 28 June.
The Center for Environmental Justice has filed a contempt of court application before the Court of Appeal against Parliamentarian Rishad Bathiudeen for his deliberate failure to comply with the orders of the Court of Appeal, which amounts to grave Contempt of Court punishable under Article 105(3) of the Constitution.
The petitioner is seeking an order to issue a rule on the respondent to show cause to court as to why he should not be punished for contempt of court.
Senior Counsel Ravindranath Dabare appeared for the Center for Environmental Justice. (Lakmal Sooriyagoda)