7-judge bench appointed to consider FR petitions against IGP & Hemasiri Fernando

A fuller Bench comprising seven judges of the Supreme Court has been appointed to hear the petitions filed against Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara and former Defense Secretary claiming that they had violated fundamental rights by failing to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks.

The Judge Bench headed by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya will comprise of Justices Sisira de Abrew, Buwaneka Aluvihare, Priyantha Jayawardena, Prasanna Jayawardena, L.T.B. Dehideniya and Murdu Fernando.

The relevant fundamental rights petitions are set to be considered before the Bench on 12th July.

The petitions were filed by seven parties including the Sri Lanka Bar Association (BASL), a businessman engaged in the tourism sector named Janak Sri Vidanage and Saman Nandana Sirimanne, a father who had lost his son and daughter in the attack on April 21st.

The petitioners accuse that the IGP and the former Defense Secretary of infringing the fundamental rights of the people by failing to prevent the attacks on churches and hotels even when intelligence information had forewarned.