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.
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rnThough the Constitution requires an opinion to be given within 10 days, the five-member Bench presided by Chief Justice Sarath N Silva and Justices Shirani Bandaranayake, Hector S Yapa, Asoka N de Silva and Nihal Jayasinghe, have asked for extra time.rn
rnThe Inland Revenue (Special Provisions) Act No. 10 of 2003 and its Amendment Act No. 31 of 2003, known as the Tax Amnesty law, has been widely debated and opposed by taxpayers, civic groups and President Kumaratunga.
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rnWhile Kumaratunga wants to know whether the tax amnesty law is inconsistent with the Constitution, she has also raised questions as to whether the Act violates any foreign treaties, powers of a Presidential pardon and if it opens ways to misuse public funds.rn
rnThrough her Addit