Law & Order
Dilshan Tharaka
Tags:
Print Edition
Eleven Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions were filed in the Supreme Court yesterday seeking a declaration that their Fundamental Rights have been violated due to the obstruction by security personnel including the Army while they were engaged in a peaceful protest against former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Government in the Galle Fort area.
The petitions have separately demanded compensation of Rs. 5 million for the violation of those Fundamental Rights. These petitions were filed by 11 lawyers in Galle including Attorney-at-Law Nalani Kamalika Manatunga through Attorney-at-Law Manoja Gunawardena.
The petitions have cited 11 respondents including Galle Police OIC, OIC of the Minor Complaint Division, the Galle Senior Superintendent of Police, the Galle Deputy Inspector General of Police, the Galle Army Commander, the Inspector General of Police, Public Security Minister Tiran Alas, the Army Commander and the Attorney General, as the respondents.
The petitions say that the petitioners were prepared to enter the Galle Fort area on the third day of the first Test match between Sri Lanka and Australia which was held in Galle on July 01 and engage in a peaceful protest against the then President and the Government.
The petitioners said that the security personnel who came to the place acted in an arbitrary manner and removed the protest placards and disrupted the peaceful protests.
The petitioners point out that it is a violation of their right to freedom of expression.
The petitioner lawyers seek from the Supreme Court to rule that their Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the provisions of the Constitution, 11, 12(1), 12(4) have been violated.
Tuesday, August 2, 2022 – 01:01
