News
Udaya asks how President predicted Easter Sunday case could be over in a month
Prosecution took five years to present its case
Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila yesterday (17) questioned President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent declaration that the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks case, heard before the High Court Trial-at-Bar, would be concluded within a month.
Addressing his regular press conference at PHU Pita Kotte office, the former parliamentarian and Attorney-at-Law questioned how the President could make such a prediction. Gammanpila pointed out that President Dissanayake had made that declaration during his meeting with the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.
President Dissanayake owed an explanation regarding his claim, ex-Minister Gammanpila said, expressing concern that the President had justified his decision to delay fresh appointments to the superior courts to prevent the senior judges hearing the Easter Sunday massacres from being deprived of promotions.
The bench consists of Nawaratne Marasinghe (President), Sujeewa Nissanka and Ramanathan Kannan.
President Dissanayake met a high-powered BASL delegation, led by its President Rajeev Amarasuriya, at the Presidential Secretariat on 12 August.
Gammanpila emphasised that it wouldn’t be possible to conclude the case within a month. According to him, though the evidence led by the prosecution concluded recently, there were 24 accused and the proceedings would take considerable time. Gammanpila explained the remaining process and how the case could drag on. The prosecution presented evidence over a period of 547 days, during five years.
About 1,500 witnesses gave evidence in the trial, where 23,270 indictments were filed against the 24 accused. The prosecution presented 2,076 court productions, including documents, bomb-making material and other evidence collected through witnesses.
Ten confessions, given by the accused before a magistrate and under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), were presented during the trial. The confession given by accused Mohamed Firdauz was ruled inadmissible by the court as it had not been given voluntarily. The Court ruled that the other confessions had been given voluntarily and allowed them to be presented. (SF)
News
Establishment of an Institutional Framework to Inagurate Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority
Policy approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 08.06.2026 to establish the Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority for identification and
execution of a formal and long – lasting remedy to secure the central hills including the upper hydro catchment areas enabling them to sustain amidst extreme weather conditions
due to natural calamities and human activities as well as to be used for the sustainable development of the country.
Accordingly, a concept paper has been prepared including
institutional structure, activities, powers, active subject area as well as administrative and coordination mechanism for the proposed authority by an expert technical committee appointed by the Secretary to the President.
Based on the said concept paper, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the President to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill including legal provisions required for the establishment of Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority.
News
Introduction of Flora and Fauna (Regulation of actions of the Indigenous Community within the nominated areas) Regulations
With the objective of securing the traditional livelihood and the eco system of the indigenous community, it has been recognized the necessity of introducing a formal regulation methodology to secure their engagement in livelihood activities by being more sensitive to the existing laws.
Thereby, the Fauna and Flora (regularizing) regulations under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (Authority 469) have been prepared so that nominated activities within the prescribed area to a member of the indigenous community
who has been registered for securing the rights acquired from law or custom or usage or traditional stance to execute an act within a certain state land that is fundamental to the survival of the indigenous community permission can be granted
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to publish the said regulations in the government gazette notification and thereby submit to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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