New bench appointed to hear cricket petition 

Justices D.N. Samarakoon and Neil Iddawela have been appointed to a new Court of Appeal bench to consider the petition against the Cricket Interim Control Committee appointed by Minister of Sports Roshan Ranasinghe. 

The petition is now scheduled to be called on 16 November before the newly appointed bench.

The decision to establish a new bench came in response to statements made by the Sports Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa, in Parliament last week concerning the judges who previously reviewed the petition against the Cricket Interim Committee.

On 7 November the Court of Appeal issued a 14-day stay order preventing the government Gazette that appointed the interim committee from coming into effect based on an appeal filed by Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva.

The order came under severe criticism in parliament after which the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Nishanka Bandula Karunaratne withdrew from the trial yesterday when the motion filed by the Sports Minister against the injunction order was taken up by the court.

During the proceedings the counsel representing the Minister of Sports informed the court that his client objected to the case being heard by the President of the Court of Appeal.

In that context Karunaratne announced his decision to recuse himself from the trial, citing unfair criticism directed at him by the Sports Minister, certain cabinet members, and parliamentarians during parliamentary proceedings. Justice Dhammika Ganepola also withdrew from the case yesterday citing personal reasons. 

Meanwhile the President’s Media Unit (PMD) yesterday announced that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has authorised the Ministerial Sub-Committee appointed by him and headed by Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, to make decisions on the suspension of Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership in the International Cricket Council (ICC). The PMD also said the Cabinet has decided that any future appointment of an interim committee must receive Cabinet approval. 

However Sports Minister later refuted this report and said the cabinet made no such decision relating to the appointment of an interim committee in the future.