Impeaching Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake is a clear attempt by the government to gain full control of the judiciary and to administer it according to its whims and fancies, the United National Party (UNP) said today.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said the removal of Dr. Bandaranyake from the post of Chief Justice was illegal as the vote taken up in Parliament on January 11 was not to remove her but to appoint a select committee to look into the charges against her.

He said this was the proposal that was included in the Parliament Order Paper on that eventful day and therefore Mohan Peiris could not be accepted as Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice.

“Shirani Bandaranayake is still the Chief Justice of the country,” Mr. Attanayake said. (Yohan Perera)