COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s president has reinstated a former Chief Justice who was sacked by defeated leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, saying the removal of Shirani Bandaranayake had been illegal, state media said yesterday.
Rajapaksa dismissed Bandaranayake, the first woman to head Sri Lanka’s judiciary, in 2013 after its parliament impeached her, disregarding rulings from the Supreme Court that the process was illegal and threatened judicial independence.
Later Rajapaksa appointed his ally Mohan Peiris as chief justice, despite strong opposition from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, representing lawyers.
“President Maithripala Sirisena has reinstated the former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake on a special cabinet approval,” state-run Independent Television Network said. “Therefore the appointment of Chief Justice Mohan Peiris will be cancelled and considered as an illegal appointment.”
The Presidential media division said both the removal of Bandaranayake and the appointment of Peiris were null and void because the Rajapaksa government had not followed the proper constitutional procedure.