Category: Legal

lquote Can the new government summon enough numbers to appoint a Speaker of its choice and announce its policy statement? Speculation is rife in Colombo but the all-powerful minorities are taking it cool. Sri Lankas 13th Parliament will meet tomorrow amidst speculation on the new governments ability to muster a majority.rn rnAt its maiden sitting […]

Flour Mill giant Singapores Prima Ceylon Ltd has filed papers for arbitration against the government for failing to honour two clauses in its agreement.A fresh deal signed by the government and Prima in April 2001, specified that flour giant will not be discriminated against any other company/person engaged in the producing wheat flour.rn rnThe government […]

State-run Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corp. (SLRC), Independent Television Networks and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corp. (SLBC) challenged the independent election chief on Tuesday, over his decision to takeover the media institutions.rn rnElection Chief, Dayananda Dissanayake appointed a competent authority endash W D L Perera endash to run the media institutions until polls end on Friday. […]

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought extra time to hear the fundamental rights application filed by state electronic media organisations against the Elections Commissioner.The matter was put off for Wednesday March 31, as one of the judges, Justice Shirani Bandaranayake declined to hear the case for personal reasons.rn rnThe other two judges endash Justices T […]

Sri Lankas independent election chief took over state-owned radio and television stations amid allegations that their programs were highly biased towards the presidents party. Dissanayake said he appointed a “competent authority” to run stations until the conclusion of the election which begins with voting Friday and ends with the declaration of results a few days […]

NatWealth Corp., says the fund misappropriation allegations in the State media are politically motivated, baseless and a distortion on facts.The retort came Thus., following up the State medias second onslaught on the Mahapola Trust fund management subsidiary.rn rnThe allegations has also halted moves by DFCC to invest in NatWealth, and slowed efforts to grow the […]

Moves by DFCC Bank to invest in National Wealth Corp. were put on hold following defamatory reports by the state media on Tuesday.NatWealth, which is a fully owned subsidiary of the Mahapola Trust Fund, has denied allegations of misappropriation of funds.rn rnState news reports alleged that Rs. 3.16 bn in Mahapola Funds were illegally transferred […]

The Mahapola Trust Fund and GTECH filed a counter case in courts Tuesday to fight a fundamental rights petition against the launch of its online lottery. The case is due to be taken up on March 25.The Development Lotteries Board (DLB) got an interim injunction on Monday from the Supreme Court preventing Mahapola from launching […]

The Supreme Court sought time till March 29, to give President Chandrika Kumaratunga an opinion on the controversial tax amnesty law.President Kumaratunga had used her constitutional powers on March 8 and asked the Supreme Court for its opinion.rn rnThough the Constitution requires an opinion to be given within 10 days, the five-member Bench presided by […]

Ten years of trying and the biggest bargaining tool in the local economy saw the light of day at the Labour Ministry on Wednesday bearing the harmless title lquote The Labour Code of Sri Lanka.The Labour Code of Sri Lanka brings together 26 of the most important labour legislation in Sri Lanka that directly influence […]

The government says it has put out a fresh draft, which gives the Auditor Generals Dept., more teeth to flex its muscle.An independent Audit Commission on the lines of other government commissions is expected to ensure autonomy of the Auditor General, says V Kanagasabapathy, Director General of Public Enterprises. rn rnldblquote The present situation is […]

President Chandrika Kumaratunga has made a fresh attempt to overturn tax amnesty extension given by the government last year.In a petition to the Court of Appeal through her Additional Secretary, Chitra Athurugiriya, she says the amnesty should not be given to lawbreakers like arms dealers, fraudsters, contract killers, drug peddlers, smugglers, bootleggers etc.rn rnThe amnesty […]