The Supreme Court has ruled that the decision taken by the Cabinet of Ministers to give Maithripala Sirisena the house at Mahagamasekara Mawatha, Colombo, where he resided when he was the President, even after his retirement, violates basic human rights. Sri Lanka Latest News
Accordingly, the Supreme Court has ordered to invalidate the Cabinet decision taken on October 15, 2019, to provide the relevant house.
Supreme Court Justice Priyantha Jayawardene has announced this decision with the concurrence of Judges Gamini Amarasekara and Kumuduni Wickramasinghe, who heard a fundamental rights petition filed by Alternative Policy Center and its Executive Director Dr. Pakyasothy Saravanamuthu.
Mr Maithripala Sirisena, acting as the head of the Cabinet of Ministers, has submitted this petition requesting that it be ruled that he has violated the public trust by making decisions about the privileges he is entitled to and that he has violated basic human rights.
Pronouncing the verdict, Judge Priyantha Jayawardene stated that it was completely against the law for the respondent, former President Maithripala Sirisena, to approve the house concerned by him as the head of the cabinet.
The judge has mentioned in his judgment that it is against the law for the respondent, former President Mr Sirisena, to reserve the house he owns through the Council of Ministers even before his retirement.
The judge pointed out that this decision taken by the Cabinet is a government policy decision and has also indicated that the Supreme Court has the power to intervene.
Accordingly, it has been further stated that the bench which decided that basic human rights have been violated through the decision of the relevant cabinet will issue an order cancelling it.
