Legal battle on SLFP positions Wijeyadasa goes before Court of Appeal

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda 

Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has filed a revision application in the Court of Appeal challenging the legality of the enjoining order issued by Colombo District Court preventing him from functioning as the Acting Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

On April 24, the Colombo District Court had issued this enjoining order pursuant to a plaint filed by Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Duminda Dissanayake and Mahinda Amaraweera. Filing a restitutio in integrum (RII) application before Court of Appeal, Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe stated that the District Court’s enjoining order was ex facie wrong and obtained in a manner depriving him of natural justice. He further alleged that the said enjoining order was detrimental to the interests of the SLFP and to the public of Sri Lanka, particularly in an election year.
The petitioner further sought an interim order staying the proceedings at the Colombo District Court which challenged his appointment as SLFP Acting Chairman.

When the matter was called before the Court of Appeal, Justice D.N. Samarakoon fixed the application for hearing on May 2.