The Court of Appeal (CA) has directed both parties to consider the possibility of reaching an amicable settlement in the petition filed by former Deputy Secretary General of Parliament and Chief of Staff, Chaminda Kularatne, challenging his suspension from duty. 

The CA issued this order yesterday (19) instructing the parties involved to consider the possibility of reaching an amicable settlement in the petition and to inform the Court of the decision on 27 March.

Kularatne had filed the petition challenging the decision to suspend him from his duties after the Parliamentary Staff Advisory Committee filed a charge sheet against him. This petition was taken up yesterday before a bench comprising the President of the CA, President’s Counsel (PC) and Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya and Justice Priyantha Fernando.

Deputy Solicitor General Chaya Sri Nammuni, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, stated before Court that the second respondent has submitted a proposal seeking to settle the petition filed by the petitioner against his suspension. She also stated that the petitioner can consider the possibility of reaching a settlement on the petition based on that proposal. 

In response to this, Sanjeewa Jayawardena PC, who appeared for the petitioner, requested for a date to present his submissions after seeking instructions from his client. Accordingly, the CA, which ordered the petition to be taken up again on 27 March, also informed the parties to inform the Court of the possibility of settling the case on that day. Thereafter, Sri Nammuni requested the Court to grant permission to file limited objections related to this case. Accordingly, the Court ordered the respondent party to file the relevant limited objections before 20 April.

Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, the Secretary General of Parliament and the members of the said Committee have been named as respondents in this petition.