I am still the CJ-Dr.Bandaranayake

6 March 2013 03:13 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 40 Bookmark

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Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, has for the first time informed the Supreme Court that she is still the Chief Justice of the country and refused to appear before the Supreme Court hearings relating to her impeachment.

Writing to the Supreme Court through her attorneys, Neelakanthan and Neelakanthan Associates, Dr. Bandaranayake stated yesterday that the impeachment against her was illegal and that she would not participate in the Supreme Court hearings. On February 19, 2013, the Supreme Court had noticed Dr. Bandaranayake to appear before court in connection with hearings scheduled to be taken up before a full bench of Supreme Court judges.

“Our client has at all times maintained that her impeachment is null and void and is of no force or effect in law and will continue to be so,” Dr. Bandaranayake’s lawyers wrote to the Supreme Court.

The Court of Appeal gave its order on January 7, 2013. The Court of Appeal order was not followed and/or was not adhered to by, among others, Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa and some of the members of the Parliamentary Select Committee which probed the impeachment against Dr. Bandaranayake, her lawyers stated.

“Consistent with our client’s position, our client will not participate in these proceedings. Thus, our client’s view is that her purported removal as Chief Justice is of no force or effect in Law,” the law firm wrote.(Susitha R Fernando)