Court order against Sports Minister from amending SLC Constitution

The Court of Appeal yesterday issued an Interim Order preventing the Sports Minister from taking further steps to amend the Constitution of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

The order was issued after taking up for consideration the petition filed by SLC President Shammi Silva and SLC Secretary Mohan de Silva challenging the decision taken by the Sports Minister to amend the SLC’s Constitution.

The petition was taken up for consideration by the judge-bench comprising Court of Appeal Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice Chamal Morais.

The petitioners claim that the process of amending the SLC’s Constitution has been included in the Cricket Constitution.

Claiming that the Sports Minister was attempting to amend the cricket Constitution outside the Constitutional provisions, the petitioners alleged it was illegal and an arbitrary act.

In December 2022, Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe informed the Appeals Court that measures would be taken to prepare a new Constitution for the SLC.

Later, in February this year, a 10-member committee of experts chaired by Justice K.T. Chitrasiri was appointed, by way of a special Gazette notification, to draft a new Constitution for the cricket body.

In February 2021, a group of 12 individuals, including former cricketers and administrators filed a petition before the Appeals Court seeking to amend the SLC Constitution to bring in reforms to the voting structure.

Representing the petitioners, Attorney-at-Law Romesh de Silva requested the Court to give an early date to confirm the facts related to this complaint.

The Court thereby ordered the respondents, including the Sports Minister to file their objections before 27 September and ordered the petitioners to file their objections in response before 12 October. The case has been fixed for 19 October.