(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – The Supreme Court today commenced hearing of nine petitions filed challenging the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.
The hearing of the petitions is held before the three-judge bench consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justices Buwaneka Aluvihare and Arjuna Obeysekera.
The petitions have been filed by nine citizens including the Secretary of the ‘Vinivinda Peramuna’ attoney-at-law Nagananda Kodituwakku, Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara, attorney-at-law Nuwan Ballantudawa, Tissa Bandara Ratnayake, H.D.J. Kulatunga and B.P. Dahanayake.
The Attorney General has been named as the respondent in the petitions.
The petitioners claim that the “Draft Bill of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution” proposed to be presented to the current constitution by the government was submitted to the parliamentary agenda on the 10th of August.
The petitioners also alleged that certain clauses in it are against the provisions of the present constitution.
The petitions have also allege that the fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Constitution are being violated through this.
Therefore, the petitions have further requested the Supreme Court to give a decision that if it is necessary to pass the clauses included in the relevant bill, it should be passed by a two-thirds majority vote of the Parliament and a referendum.
