Speaker tables criteria followed by CC

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday tabled the report of the Constitutional Council (CC) which depicts the criteria followed by the CC to approve persons for various posts.

Speaker Jayasuriya on Thursday said that he will table the CC report so that MPs could find out the criteria followed when approving persons for posts.

As per the report the criteria which the CC had looked at when approving the appointment of the President of the Appeal Court. The CC had considered whether the nominee is a judge of the Appeal Court (normally the most senior judge) whether he possess a service of minimum of 25 years as an attorney-at-law, a person with a successful professional career, a practitioner of the unofficial BAR and is of high regard and whether the nominee has held the post of Solicitor General and whether the age of the nominee has not exceeded 62 years of age.

Guidelines looked at when appointing a Chief Justice is whether the nominee for the post is a judge of the Supreme Courts (generally the most senior judge), whether he had held the post of Attorney General, a practitioner who has at least 30 years standing, one with successful practice who had been held in high regard by those in the legal professional and whether his age had not exceeded 62 years of age.

The criteria looked into when appointing an Appeal court judge have been High Court Judge (normally in order of seniority), a practitioner who has at least 30 years standing, one with successful practice who had been held in high regard by those in the legal profession and whether his age had not exceeded 62 years of age. Whether he has held posts such as Secretary to Ministry of Justice, Legal Draftsman or a person who had made significant contribution to development and advancement of the law.

When it comes the appointment of the IGP the nominee should have held Senior DIG post while experience is also considered.

The CC report had revealed that the President was asked to send in biographical details of all nominees and this was communicated by Acting Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake. (Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)