Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne has ruled that a privilege complaint submitted by SJB Parliamentarian Ajith P. Perera does not constitute a prima facie breach of parliamentary privilege.

The ruling was delivered in response to a notice of privilege dated October 2, 2026, submitted by Ajith P. Perera, Member of Parliament for the Kalutara Electoral District.

In his submission, Perera alleged that parliamentary privilege had been breached over the lack of formal action or a final decision on a written request dated August 3, 2026, signed by 18 Opposition MPs seeking the appointment of a Special Select Committee to investigate and report on delays in the judicial system and prison overcrowding.

He had requested that the matter be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges for investigation and recommendations.

In his ruling, Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne stated that the Speaker, as the Presiding Authority and Guardian of the Powers, Rights and Privileges of Parliament, cannot be subjected to a privilege complaint or disciplinary investigation by a committee subordinate to the Chair for actions taken in an official capacity.

The Speaker further stated that, under the Standing Orders, the Speaker is required to independently determine whether a prima facie case of breach of privilege exists, and that referring a complaint against the Speaker to a committee under the Speaker's authority would create a procedural contradiction.

Accordingly, the Speaker ruled that the notice submitted by Ajith P. Perera did not constitute a prima facie breach of parliamentary privilege and disallowed the request to refer the matter to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.