Sri Lanka Supreme Court rejects four petitions against the Expropriation Act

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has rejected four petitions filed against the recently passed legislation on the revival of underperforming and underutilized assets.



The petitions were filed by Chief Incumbent of the Nalandarama in Nugegoda, Ven. Thiniyawela Palitha Thero and several workers and farmers of the Sevanagala Sugar Company.

A five-member Supreme Court bench comprising judges Sathya Hettige, S.I. Imam, Gamini Amaratunga, Suresh Chandra and Priyasath Dep took up the petition for hearing yesterday and refused permission to proceed with the petitions.

The judges have said that the Supreme Court did not have the power to rule on a piece of legislation that has been passed by the legislature.

The judges have ruled that hearing such a petition would be in violation of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court earlier ruled that the takeover bill or any of its clauses have not been found inconsistent with the Constitution.

The parliament passed the bill with a majority of 76 votes.