Two judges decline to hear contempt case against Diana Gamage

Colombo, June 26 (Daily Mirror) -  Two Supreme Court judges today recused themselves from hearing a contempt of court application filed against former State Minister Diana Gamage, who lost her parliamentary seat for not being a citizen of Sri Lanka.

Supreme Court Justices Janak De Silva and Kumuduni Wickremasinghe recused themselves from hearing the application as they were members of the Supreme Court bench that declared Diana Gamage disqualified from being a Member of Parliament.

A contempt of court application was filed before the Supreme Court alleging that Diana Gamage committed the offense of contempt of court through her statements at a media conference held on May 9 this year.  

A Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Janak De Silva and Kumuduni Wickremasinghe fixed this application for support on August 5.   

Former Chairman of the Weligama Urban Council, Rehan Jayawickrema filed this application alleging that Diana Gamage had made a statement with the intent of bringing the authority of the Supreme Court to disrespect as provided in Section 3(1) (a) of the Contempt of a Court, Tribunal or Institution Act No: 8 of 2024.  

The Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment on May 8, held that then State Minister Diana Gamage is disqualified from being a Member of Parliament and thus she is not entitled to hold office as a Member of Parliament, as she is not a citizen of Sri Lanka.
 
The petitioner stated that at this particular media conference, respondent Diana Gamage had portrayed herself as a victim of an injustice and that the outcome in the Supreme Court was an attack on women and further that it was a result of a political conspiracy based on hate and vengeance.

The petitioner further stated that Diana Gamage made statements maliciously to diminish the impression and impact of the said judgment in the minds of the people and to portray herself as the victim of wrongdoing and that the judgment of the Supreme Court as wrongful.