News
President: SC determination on Gender Equality Bill amounts to act of judicial cannibalism
Calls for appointment of PSC to review SC ruling
Opposition condemns move as unhealthy
By Saman Indrajith
President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday that the Supreme Court determination on the constitutionality of the Gender Equality Bill had violated the powers of Parliament under Article 4 of the Constitution and called for the appointment of a special parliamentary select committee to study and make recommendations for the review of that determination.
Raising a point of Order, the President said that the determination was in contravention of women’s rights and an affront to the constitutional mandate on the government to ensure foremost place for Buddhism.
The President said that the Supreme Court had engaged in judicial cannibalism with regard to its determination on the Gender Equality Bill. “The Supreme Court has ignored a certain section which the Gender Equality Bill has addressed. It has eaten up all the judgments, including one which had been given by a bench of 10 judges with regard to women’s rights. It has engaged in judicial cannibalism. The Court has also ignored an amendment to the penal code by the Chief Justice. The determination also challenges the Piriven Education Bill. I don’t propose to summon judges before Parliament, but I propose that we appoint a majority of members from the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus to the select committee,” he said.
The Opposition MPs, however, stated that the Executive should not bring the legislature and the judiciary on a collision course by appointing a PSC to review a Supreme Court determination.
TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran said it was better to refer the Bill to the Supreme Court for a re-determination. “It is better to refer the Bill for a re-determination rather than challenging the Supreme Court. It is not a healthy move to appoint select committees to look into each determination given by the Supreme Court,” Sumanthiran said.
NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa said challenging the determinations of the Supreme Court could not be approved of as it would lead to undesirable consequences. “Why should we have a Supreme Court if we are going to challenge it every time? There is no issue with granting equal rights to women and upholding the rights of those whose gender is difficult to determine as a result of hormone disorders from which they suffer. However, we cannot endorse providing legal provisions to the mafia with regard to gender equality. Even children are given the choice to change their gender equality prevailing in Western countries, sexual organs are sold for USD 4,000 in those countries. We should not allow that kind of development in this country,” he said.
SLPP dissident MPs Dullas Alahapperuma and Ven. Athureliye Rathana Thera also pointed out that the President’s move to appoint a PSC may result in a collision between the judiciary and the legislature and such a crisis was the last thing this country needs at the present juncture.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has challenged NPP MP Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana to repeat what it called a false claim made in Parliament about anagreement between SJB leader Sajith Premadasa and BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya.
The Colombo District MP Vithana alleged that Amarasuriya had recently received an assurance from Premadasa, who is also the Opposition Leader, that he (Amarasuirya) would be fielded as the SJB Chief Ministerial candidate at the Western Province PC polls in return for BASL campaigning against the government’s move to extend the retirement age of the superior court judges.
A top BASL spokesman told The Island that in case the lawmaker repeated the allegation outside Parliament, without the cover of parliamentary privilege, due legal consequences would follow.
The text of the statement: “The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (“BASL”) views with deep dismay the false utterances made today in Parliament by
Government Member of Parliament Mr. Asitha Niroshana Egoda Withanage regarding the President of the BASL, Mr. Rajeev Amarasuriya.
The BASL categorically states that the allegations are utterly false, baseless, and made with malicious intent.
The BASL is deeply concerned by the abuse of parliamentary privilege to make unfounded and defamatory false utterances, thereby seeking to mislead and misguide the public.
Furthermore, such cheap political attacks on the BASL will not succeed. The legal fraternity of Sri Lanka stands united and will face any challenge to its independence and integrity.
In respect of the proposal to increase the retirement age of the Judges of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, it has been the firm view of the Bar that constitutional amendments affecting the Superior Courts should never be undertaken in an ad hoc manner or in response to temporary circumstances. Amendments of such constitutional importance should only be introduced where there exists a demonstrable institutional necessity, transparent public justification and broad and defensible stakeholder consultation. Public confidence in constitutional governance depends upon the process adopted as much as the substance of the amendment itself.
The BASL has, throughout its history, stood firm against any threat to democracy, the independence of the judiciary, and the Human Rights of the people including the right to protest. The BASL has spoken out without fear or favour, regardless of which government is in power. The legal community is well aware that the BASL does not, and will not, play politics.
The BASL challenges Member of Parliament Mr. Asitha Niroshana Egoda Withanage to repeat the said false utterance outside Parliament without the cover of Parliamentary Privilege so that due Legal Consequences can follow.”
By Shamindra Ferdinando ✍️
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara will meet a delegation from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) this week to discuss the government’s hotly disputed decision to introduce a constitutional amendment to increase the retirement ages of judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
Both the Justice and National Integration Ministry and the BASL confirmed the scheduled meeting.
The BASL, in a letter dated 16 July, 2026, addressed to Minister Nanayakkara, who is also an Attorney-at-Law, requested that a delegation, consisting of members of the executive committee of the BASL, and senior members of the profession, be granted an opportunity to discuss the issues at hand.
Responding to The Island queries, sources revealed that the government, with an overwhelming 2/3 majority in Parliament, was determined to go ahead with the controversial constitutional amendment, whereas the BASL, too, remained inflexible in its opposition to the move.
The BASL reiterated that as emphasised in their 16 July dated letter, addressed to Minister Nanayakkara, the premier legal body expected the government to put on hold the process until meaningful consultations take place among principal stakeholders of the justice sector.
The BASL wrote to Minister Nanayakkara on 30 March, 2026, seeking clarifi-cation regarding the proposed constitutional amendment and in the absence of response, raised the issue with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on 25 May, 2026. Sources said that the President, too, refrained from responding to the BASL’s letter and they didn’t have any other option than stepping up pressure.
By S.K. Samaranayake ✍️
A team of police officers, led by Kadawatha Police Station Chief Inspector Buddhika Rajapaksha, has arrested two members of an organised motorcycle theft gang, along with three stolen motorcycles, and 14 grams of heroin, in their possession.
The Kadawatha Police are conducting investigations to arrest another suspect connected to the gang. Police stated that the suspects had concealed the stolen motorcycles at their residences in Eldeniya, Kadawatha. Further investigations are being carried out by the Kadawatha Police to determine whether the suspects are addicted to drugs.
Under the supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police, Nuvan Asanga, the Kadawatha Police are conducting further investigations to ascertain whether the suspects have stolen any other motorcycles.
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