The Court of Appeal today (September 14) ordered that a writ petition filed by Sarvajana Balaya leader and Member of Parliament Dilith Jayaweera be taken up for support on September 18.
The petition challenges a referral made by the Colombo Fort Magistrate to the Court of Appeal over allegations of contempt of court arising from statements allegedly made by Jayaweera during a television interview.
The matter is scheduled to be considered before a three-judge bench comprising Court of Appeal President Justice Rohantha Abeysooriya and Justices Chamath Morais and Adithya Patabendige.
The referral from the Colombo Fort Magistrate seeks a determination on whether the MP's conduct during the television interview amounted to contempt of court. The matter was taken up before the Court of Appeal for the second consecutive day on Monday.
Appearing on behalf of Jayaweera, President's Counsel Ali Sabry requested that the television interview at the centre of the proceedings be screened in open court, arguing that the footage would support his client's position.
Following the request, the bench instructed the Registrar of the Court of Appeal to make the necessary arrangements for the video recording to be played before the court.
After considering the submissions made by the parties, the court ordered that Jayaweera's writ petition be taken up for support before the three-member bench on September 18.
The proceedings concern allegations that remain before the courts and have not resulted in a determination of wrongdoing.
