Minister Rishad Bathiudeen

By Stanley Samarasinghe

The Executive Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) filed a petition in the Court of Appeal , seeking permission to intervene in the contempt proceedings against Minister Rishad Bathiudeen.

Attorney-at-Law, Sanath Wijewardana filed the petition on behalf of the Executive Committee members, in terms of the Article 105(3) of the Constitution.

The BASL Executive Committee members; President Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, Deputy President Anoma Gunatilaka, Secretary Sanjaya Gamage, and Rasika Dasanayake and Charith Galhena, are seeking permission to intervene in the contempt proceedings.

The intervenient Petitioners state that on 17 July 2012, Minister Bathiudeen had telephoned the Magistrate of Mannar twice and demanded that he reverse the order pertaining to case number B 396/2012 and subsequently, the Magistrate had made a complaint on 19 July 2012 to the Mannar Police, stating that on 18 July the Respondent Minister had visited the Judicial Service Commission and demanded that Mannar Magistrate be transferred.

The Petitioners also said the Judicial Service Commission received a telephone call from the Respondent from the same telephone number as that used to call the Mannar Magistrate. The intervenient Petitioners stated, in the circumstances mentioned above, the most appropriate step is to intervene to protect the independence of the judiciary and its dignity. courtesy: Ceylon Today