INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The case filed pertaining to the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Interim Committee is due to be taken up for further consideration before the Court
of Appeal on 23 November.On 16 November, the Court of Appeal issued an order that the relevant case be taken up before a new panel of judges
after Judge Neil Iddawela recused himself from the case.The case was subsequently forwarded to the President of the Court of Appeal, Judge
Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, in order to name a new panel of Judges.Thus, the case was slated to be heard before an Appellate Court bench
comprising of Judges Sobhitha Rajakaruna and D
Samarkoon, as per a decision made by the President of the Court of Appeal.So far, three Judges, including the Appeals Court President and
Judge Neil Iddawela, have recused themselves from the hearing of the relevant case.On 07 November, the Court of Appeal issued a 14-day stay
order, preventing the operation of the seven-member Interim Committee appointed SLC and the relevant gazette notification issued by Sports
Minister Roshan Ranasinghe in this regard.The relevant order was issued by a two-member judge bench consisting of Appeals Court President
Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice Vikum Kaluarachchi, upon consideration of a writ petition filed by the Chairman of SLC Shammi
Silva.Accordingly, the court has issued three stay orders in total pertaining to the matter: the first to prevent the gazette issued by the
Sports Minister appointing the interim committee for the SLC, the second to prevent the committee members chaired by Arjuna Ranatunga from
acting in their respective positions and the third to prevent the respondents including the Sports Minister from interfering the activities
of the petitioner and the other officials of cricket board.Subsequently, on 13 November, Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe filed a motion
requesting the lifting of the stay order issued by the Court of Appeal preventing the operation of the 7-member Interim Committee appointed
by him for the SLC and the relevant gazette notification published in this regard.The motion including the objections related to the
relevant stay order, has been filed before the Appeals Court through Attorney-at-Law G.G
Arulpragasam.A seven-member Interim Committee was appointed by Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe on 06 November, chaired by World
Cup-winning former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga.The interim committee consists of the following members: S
Imam, Retired Supreme Court Judge; Rohini Marasinghe, Retired Supreme Court Judge; Irangani Perera, Retired High Court Judge; Arjuna
Ranatunga (Chairman); Upali Dharmadasa; Rakitha Rajapakshe, Attorney-at-Law; and Hisham Jamaldeen.
