The Sri Lankan Supreme Court has ruled that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe can be named as a respondent in a fundamental rights petition that claims his administration’s failure to appoint judges to vacant positions in the Court of Appeal violated the petitioner’s human rights. The petition, filed by President’s Counsel Senaka Walgampaya, demands a judicial ruling on the matter, asserting that the delay in filling these vacancies during Wickremesinghe’s tenure had a significant impact on the judiciary’s functioning.
The petition was heard on November 27, 2024, by a bench consisting of Justices Janak de Silva and Mahinda Samayawardena. The court granted Wickremesinghe four weeks to file his objections to the petition, and a further hearing has been scheduled for March 10, 2025.
Walgampaya’s petition specifically addresses the failure to appoint judges to five vacant positions in the Court of Appeal, which, according to the petitioner, resulted in a violation of his fundamental rights. The case has drawn attention to ongoing concerns over judicial appointments and the functioning of Sri Lanka’s judiciary under the previous administration
