The Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed in June by the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Former Vice President K. Mathivanan, challenging the legitimacy of the current office bearers of the game’s domestic governing body, was dismissed without being taken up for hearing by the Supreme Court (SC) last week.

The Judge Bench of the Apex Court consisting of Justices Shiran Gooneratne, K. Priyantha Fernando and Menaka Wijesundara, resorted to this action, while accepting the initial objections raised by the defence (SLC).

The petitioner – a long-standing figure in domestic cricket had prayed the SC to annul all appointments to the posts of the SLC Ex-Co including its President Shammi Silva, at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in late March this year.

He had charged via his petition that his FR had been infringed by Sri Lanka Cricket, over its failure to grant sufficient time to submit documents related to his nomination for the post of Vice President at the said AGM.

Mathivanan had alleged serious transgressions of the Sports Law, abuse of due process, and intentional manipulation of regulations to suit a select group of officials.

Hence he had moved court to issue an order to hold a fresh election of office bearers to the body situated at Maitland Place.

When the case was taken up, the lawyers for the defence argued that the petition has already expired and that the petitioner had failed to name the respondents concerned, and maintained that the requisite documents have also not been submitted to court.

Therefore, they requested the Bench to accept their objections and throw out the petition at the outset, and it was accepted by the SC.

A group of lawyers led by President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris appeared for the petitioner, while a team headed by President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva including PCs Upul Kumarapperuma, Chandika Jayasundara and Shivan Cooray, looked into the interests of the defence.