SC to consider all petitions on 20A by Oct.02

By Thilini de Silva and Ranjan Katugampola   

The Supreme Court yesterday said all special petitions and intervenient petitions against the draft on 20th Amendment to the Constitution which was tabled in Parliament by the government would be considered by the court by Friday (02).   

Seven intervenient petitions were filed in the Supreme Court yesterday as well supporting the 20th Amendment to the Constitution which was tabled in Parliament by the government.   
Of the seven petitions, three were filed by Education Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and State Minister Nalaka Godahewa and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Party General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam.   

The petitioners said the draft of the 20A was compliant with the existing constitution and that it need not be approved at a referendum, as approval with a two-thirds majority in Parliament was sufficient.   

A five-member Supreme Court bench appointed by the Chief Justice to consider the petitions filed against the 20A met yesterday to take up the all petitions for consideration and further considerations has been postponed to today.   

The members of the bench are Chief Justices Jayantha Jayasuriya, Buwaneka Aluwihare, Sisira De Abrew, Priyantha Jayawardena and Vijith Malalgoda.   

• A total of 46 petitions including the intervenient petitions have been filed up to now