A Senior Minister and several government MPs today called for the resignation of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranyake against whom an impeachment motion is being probed by a special select committee in Parliament.

Senior Minister Athauda Seneviratne who was speaking during the committee stage debate on the budget in the House said the Chief Justice should resign if she respects ethics.

Minister Athauda Seneviratne charged that the structure of the judicial system that is prevailing in Sri Lanka today had helped the Chief Justice to practice tyranny.

He said the judiciary today is controlled by the Chief Justice. Mr. Seneviratne said the Chief Justice has the power even to control the Judicial Service Commission today.  He said the Chief Justice also had the power to appoint judges according to his or her whims and fancies.

The minister alleged that the present Chief Justice had directly influenced the judges who were hearing the case with regarding to the petition that had been filed against the impeachment motion. (Yohan Perera and Kelum Bandara)