Six more petitions challenging 20A

Total petitions so far, 18

• They say it should be approved at a referendum

By Thilini de Silva, Ranjan Katugampola  

Six more petitions were filed yesterday (25) before the Supreme Court challenging the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, making a total of 18 petitions. The Attorney General has been named as the respondent in all these petitions.   

Accordingly, petitions were filed today by the Young Lawyers’ Association Executive Committee members Dehiaththa and Migara Dos, Colombo district UNP contestants at the last election Ajantha Perera, Oshala Herath and Dr. Chandimal Wijewardena, the Ceylon Teachers’ Services Union, Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and General Workers’ Union General Secretary Sylvester Jayakody, T.R. Wijetunga and G.G.R. Perera.  

The petitions said the proposed amendment included certain clauses which infringed upon the basic human rights and other privileges bestowed upon the people by the Constitution.  

In addition, they said a Parliament majority’s approval shouldn’t be sufficient to approve the Constitution and requested the Supreme Court to issue an order mentioning that it should be approved through a referendum as well.  

• The amendment included clauses which infringed upon basic human rights