President immune from Easter Attack petitions seeking compensation?

The Colombo District Court today (18 Jan.) fixed a dated to announce the decision pertaining to whether or not President Ranil Wickremesinghe would be released from 108 lawsuits filed against the criminal negligence of duty in the Easter Sunday Attacks of 2019. 

Accordingly, the decision will be delivered on 01 March 2023.

This was announced by Colombo Additional District Judge Mahesha de Silva, when the 108 petitions filed by victims of the Easter Sunday Attacks seeking compensation were taken up in court this morning.

However, the Head of State’s legal counsel informed the court that as per Article 35 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, a case cannot be maintained against Wickremesinghe, who is named as a respondent in these petitions, due to his Presidency and provided the court with written submissions in this regard.

Thus, an order pertaining to the matter will be announced on 01 March, the Judge noted.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General informed the Colombo District Court this morning that he would not appear on behalf of the former chief of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Nilantha Jayawardene, who has also been named a respondent of the petitions filed by the victims of the Easter Sunday Attacks, seeking compensation.

On 12 January, the Supreme Court found former President Maithripala Sirisena, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara, former National Intelligence Chief Sisira Mendis and former Chief of State Intelligence Nilantha Jayawardena in violation of the Fundamental Rights of petitioners, by failing to take action to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks despite receiving sufficient intelligence information.