The Supreme Court has appointed a five-judge bench to consider the fundamental rights petitions filed seeking for an injunction order against the signing of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Agreement with the United States.

The five-judge bench appointed by the Chief Justice is to be chaired by the Supreme Court Judge Buwaneka Aluvihare.

Accordingly, the judge-bench is comprised of Supreme Court Justices Buwaneka Aluvihare, L. T B. Dehideniya, Murdu Fernando, S. Thurairajah, and Gamini Amarasekera.

The petitions are to be considered on the 13th of November.

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), Attorney-at-Law Dharshana Weeraduwa and Ven. Anguruwelle Jinananda Thero had filed fundamental rights petitions against the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Agreement with the US.

The Attorney General, President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana, and Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera have been named the respondents of the petitions.

The petitioners claim that the MCC agreement, which is to be signed without the consent of the parliament and the public, could seriously harm the national security and sovereignty of the country.

Therefore, the petitioners have requested the Supreme Court to issue a ruling that the government’s decision to enter into this agreement violates the Constitution and to issue an interim injunction preventing the signing of the agreement.