P’ment receives copies of petition filed against new high courts

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

Parliament has received copies of seven petitions filed at the Supreme Court in relation to the Judicature (Amendment) Bill, the Speaker Karu Jayasuriya confirmed to the House yesterday. These petitions were filed in par with Article 121 (1) of the Constitution. 

Judicature (Amendment) Bill recently presented in the Parliament provides for the setting up of a permanent High Court trial-at-bar to try, hear and determine the trials of offences under the Penal Code, the Money Laundering Act, the Bribery Act, offences against Public Property Act and several other legislations. 

The proposed High Court trial-at-bar shall consist of three judges to be nominated by the Judicial Service Commission from among the judges of High Court. The new courts shall have jurisdiction in respect of offenses committed wholly or partly in Sri Lanka or an offence committed by a citizen of Sri Lanka outside the territory of Sri Lanka or on board a ship or an aircraft. The Minister of Justice will have the power to specify the location of the High Court trial-at-bar and the power to increase the number of such courts. In addition, the Bill provides provisions to hear cases daily.

However, some petitioners, including a few members of the UPFA joint opposition challenged the Bill sighting that the Bill will lead to unequal treatment to equals and it provides powers to the Minister to specify the location of this permanent High Court of trial-at-bar and the Executives such as Attorney General and the Director General of Bribery Commission to institute criminal proceedings.