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Petitions against pardoning Duminda Silva fixed for May 31
Three Fundamental Rights petitions filed challenging the legality of the Presidential Pardon granted by President to former Parliamentarian Duminda Silva were today fixed for support by the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Justice Vijith Malalgoda, Gamini Amarasekara and Justice Yasantha Kodagoda fixed the three petitions to be taken up for support on May 31.
Former Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra, her mother Sumana Premachandra and former Commissioner of Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Ghazali Hussain had filed these petitions seeking a declaration that the presidential pardon of Duminda Silva is invalid in law.
The petitioners are seeking a declaration that their Fundamental Rights guaranteed under Articles 10, 11, 12 and 12(1) of the Constitution have been violated by the respondents.
The petitioners are further seeking an Interim Order preventing Duminda Silva from leaving the Country and impound his passport.
The Petitioners state that on or about 24th of June, 2021 it was widely published in the media that Duminda Silva had received a presidential pardon.
The Petitioner states that they verily believe that the other convicts in the said case are still serving their sentences.
They further said to the best of their knowledge the President has not explained and set out the basis of the said pardon.
They further alleged that the President has not explained the procedure for the said pardon in terms of Article 34.
The petitioners maintained that any pardon to be granted under Article 34 of the Constitution should be made after a careful analysis of the necessity to grant such a pardon as stipulated in the proviso to Article 34 (1) of the Constitution.
On September 8, 2016, five accused including former Defence Ministry Monitoring MP Duminda Silva were sentenced to death by Colombo High Court for committing the murder of four persons including former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra on or around October 8, 2011.
On October 11, 2018, Supreme Court five-judge-bench headed by then Chief Justice Priyasath Dep unanimously decided to dismiss appeal petitions filed by former MP Duminda Silva and two others who challenged the judgment of Colombo High Court that found them guilty for conspiring to murder four persons including former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.
Counsel Suren Fernando appeared for Hirunika Premachandra.
Attorney-at-law Eraj De Silva with Daminda Wijerathne and Sundramoorthy Janagan under the instructions of Attorney-at-law Dimuthu Kuruppuarachchi appeared for Sumana Premachandra. (Lakmal Sooriyagoda)
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