28 May 2019 12:40 pm
The Court of Appeal decided to take up afresh the case filed against Minister Rishad Bathiudeen and other respondents over the clearing of the Wilpattu national park forest and constructing a housing project adjoining the National Park, from July 31.
The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) initially filed a petition in the Court of Appeal in 2015 seeking to quash clearing of the Wilpattu national park forest and constructing a housing project adjoining the National Park.
The CEJ had filed the petition naming the Conservator General of Forest Conservation Department, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), Wildlife Department Director General, Lands Commissioner General, Archaeological Department Commissioner General, the Mannar District Secretary, Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, the Environment and Mahaweli Development Minister and the Attorney General as respondents.
Last February, the Court of Appeal Justices Kumuduni Wickremasinghe and Justice Mahinda Samayawardhana fixed the petition for judgment to be delivered on August 6.
However, the Court of Appeal today decided to take afresh the case before a two-judge-bench comprising of Justices Janak de Silva and Nishshanka Bandula Karunaratne. (Manopriya Gunasekera)
Video by Prasanna