CJ rejects request for rehearing British passport holder’s case

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, on Monday (31) dismissed a revision application filed on behalf of British passport holder Kayleigh Frazer, who has been faulted by the Supreme Court for suppressing information pertaining to a case filed, also on her behalf, last year.

CJ Jayasuriya declared that there was no basis for re-hearing.

The CJ was responding to a motion dated 24 July 2023 submitted by Attorney-at-Law Nagananda Kodituwakku, Counsel for Frazer.

Having brought to the notice of the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court claiming that the case (SC/FR/299/2022) in question was filed by two lawyers, Prabodha Ratnayake and Lakshan Dias, without the consent of the petitioner, on the basis of a fictitious affidavit, dated 05 August, 2022, Kodituwakku has requested that the matter be listed for support before a bench of judges not made respondents in what the counsel called a judicial corruption case (SC/Writs/2/2023).

Kodituwakku has requested permission from the court to add the two lawyers concerned as respondents and to have the order made on 11 May, 2023, on the basis the petitioner suppressed information reviewed, revised and to list the original application for support. The court imposed a cost of Rs 500,000 on the petitioner in this regard whereas the two lawyers were subjected to a Rs 100,000 fine.

Meanwhile, Frazer, who received the attention of authorities for her coverage of the protest campaign directed at the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, continued to evade law enforcement authorities for nearly a year after the Immigration and Emigration Department declined to extend her visa. Frazer was asked to leave the country by 15 August last year.

Earlier Justice Priyantha Jayawardene directed the Registrar of the Court not to list this matter for support any date before 07 June, 2023.