Appeals Court terminates petition against SLC Interim Committee

The Court of Appeal yesterday terminated consideration of the petition filed against the gazette notification issued by former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe to appoint an interim committee for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) after newly appointed Sports Minister Harin Fernando had on 14 December issued a new Extraordinary Gazette to dissolve the panel.

Accordingly, by means of the new communiqué, the Extraordinary Gazette bearing reference No. 2356/43 dated 5 November 2023, has been rescinded with immediate effect, thereby dissolving the Interim Committee appointed to exercise the powers, functions and duties of SLC. 

Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva had put forward the petition challenging the appointment of an interim committee.

In terminating the petition put forward by the former Sports Minister requesting lifting of the stay order, the judge bench decided to allow the petitioners to reconvene their application if a legal need that is deemed reasonable arises in the future.

On 6 November, a seven-member Interim Committee was appointed by the then Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, chaired by World Cup-winning former Sri Lanka Captain Arjuna Ranatunga and comprising retired Supreme Court Judge SI Imam, retired Supreme Court Judge Rohini Marasinghe, retired High Court Judge Irangani Perera, Chairman Arjuna Ranatunga, Upali Dharmadasa, Attorney-at-Law Rakitha Rajapakshe, and Hisham Jamaldeen.

The following day, the Appeals Court issued a 14-day stay order on the Interim Committee. The relevant order was issued by a two-member judge bench consisting of Appeals Court President Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice Vikum Kaluarachchi, upon consideration of the writ application filed by the SLC President Shammi Silva challenging the move.

On 13 November, the former Sports Minister filed a motion requesting the lifting of the stay order.

But on 27 November, President Ranil Wickremesinghe removed Ranasinghe from all his portfolios including as the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs and Minister of Irrigation. Harin Fernando, who was serving as the Minister of Tourism, was subsequently sworn in as the new Minister of Sports to replace Ranasinghe.

Soon after his appointment, Minister Fernando, on 12 December, issued a new Extraordinary Gazette to dissolve the panel appointed by Ranasinghe.