Sri Lanka court summons Speaker, legislators to review impeachment

Dec 21, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's court of appeal has summoned parliamentary Speaker and legislators who were in a committee that found the Chief Justice guilty of misconduct in controversial circumstances. Sri Lanka's Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake went court asking to quash the decision of the committee saying she was denied natural justice, the committee was biased, and that it was not an independent tribunal.

The court of appeal has ruled that it had jurisdiction to hear the case, reports said, in a landmark decision that will lead to the judicial review of the actions of a parliamentary committee for the first time.

Sri Lanka's Speaker had previously said that the parliament was not bound by court decisions, a position that was backed by opposition leader Rani Wickremasinghe, who also has a habit of claiming that the parliament is 'supreme'.

The Chief Justice in her plaint had cited a submission made by Sri Lanka at the United Nations over shortcoming in the island's impeachment process for judges in seeking judicial review of a decision made by a parliamentary committee.

"On the previous occasion the Human Rights Committee examined Sri Lanka’s periodic report, it express con