Appeal Court President tenders his resignation

Court of Appeal President Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, against whom the government had been preparing to initiate an impeachment motion, has submitted his resignation to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Following his resignation, the government has decided to halt the impeachment motion that was intended to remove Justice Karunaratne. He has informed President Dissanayake that his resignation will take effect on February 1, 2025.

Justice Karunaratne was originally set to retire on June 16, 2025, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 63 for Appeal Court judges.

Earlier, reports indicated that the government was planning to pursue an impeachment motion against him, allegedly due to concerns about his recent performance.

Karunaratne began his judicial career as a magistrate and rose to become President of the Court of Appeal. He had been recommended for appointment to the Supreme Court by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. However, the Constitutional Council rejected the recommendation, and a subsequent fundamental rights petition challenging this decision was filed in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition in December last year.