Diana Gamage’s MP seat: Five-member Appeals Court bench requested for petition hearing

A motion has been filed before the Court of Appeal, seeking a five-member judge bench to hear the petition filed challenging the parliamentary seat of State Minister Diana Gamage.

Social activist Oshala Herath has filed the motion through his legal counsels.

In late 2022, Herath filed a petition seeking a writ order disqualifying Diana Gamage’s parliamentary seat, arguing that issuing a diplomatic passport to the state minister is against the Immigration and Emigration Act as she also holds British citizenship.

The Appeals Court’s verdict on the petition was initially supposed to be delivered on July 25.

However, it was fixed to be taken up on September 14 before a three-member judge bench after the Appeals Court Judges Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and A. Marikkar announced a split decision on the matter.