The Supreme Court has issued a notice to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (24).
It is in relation to the fundamental rights petition that has been filed requesting the annulment of the decision to release former Member of Parliament Mr. Duminda Silva, who was sentenced to death for the murder of Bharata Lakshman Premachandra and released by granting a presidential pardon.
When the relevant petitions were called before the Supreme Court bench today (24), a notice was issued asking the former president to appear before the court on December 16.
The petitions were filed by Mr. Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra’s daughter Hirunika Premachandra, his wife, Sumana Premachandra and President’s Advocate Ghazali Hussain, a former commissioner of the Human Rights Commission.
The petition has shown that the former president has not followed the legal provisions to be followed in granting the presidential pardon.
The petitioners, demanding a ruling that the fundamental human rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Republic have been violated, have also requested the Supreme Court to issue an order invalidating the relevant presidential pardon.