SRI LANKA: SUPREME COURT ISSUES INTERIM INJUNCTION ON IMPLEMENTING DEATH PENALTY UNTIL OCTOBER 30

July 8, 2019:

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on 5 July 2019 issued an interim order staying the implementation of the death penalty until October 30.
The order was issued by a three-member bench comprising Justices Buwaneka Aluvihare, Prasanna Jayawardena and Gamini Amarasekara.
The Supreme Court today called 12 fundamental rights petitions filed in the apex court requesting an order staying the executions.
President's Counsel MA Sumanthiran appearing for a fundamental right petition filed by attorney KH Geeganage pointed out that the President's decision to impose the death sentence on only four of the prisoners who have been sentenced to death has violated the fundamental right to equal treatment in accordance with the law guaranteed by the Constitution.
The President's Counsel appealed to the Court to issue an interim injunction preventing the implementation of the relevant sentence which violates the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
The State's Deputy Solicitor General, Nerin Pulle, appearing for the Attorney General, said in court that the death penalty is a punishment punishable by Sri Lankan law. Therefore, he argued that the President's directive does not violate fundamental rights.
However, after considering the submissions, the Supreme Court ruled that all fundamental rights petitions will be considered on October 29. Accordingly, the Supreme Court has issued an injunction preventing the death penalty from being implemented until October 30.