Public Security Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala told Parliament yesterday that the impeachment of former Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake in 2013 was constitutionally flawed and remains void from the outset.
“The very people who impeached Dr. Bandaranayake without even a proper request from Parliament are now accusing us of acting against Standing Orders,” Watagala charged during a parliamentary debate.
He pointed out that the motion passed in Parliament in January 2013 lacked a mandatory address to the President requesting the removal of the Chief Justice, a key constitutional requirement.
“The motion merely reproduced the earlier resolution seeking to appoint a Select Committee to inquire. There was no formal address for removal, and this lapse was never rectified — despite objections raised in the House at the time,” Watagala said.
He asserted that without such an address, the President had no constitutional authority to remove Dr. Bandaranayake, rendering her removal as Chief Justice No. 43 legally invalid.
“This kind of motion was never tabled properly back then. Those who now try to lecture us on Standing Orders should first learn them,” he added.
The Deputy Minister also noted that the entire public service is closely observing how law and order is being upheld by the police, hinting at the broader implications of political and legal accountability.
