It is reported that the Executive Committee of the Sri Lanka Bar Association is scheduled to discuss the decision issued recently by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena that the Court has no jurisdiction to intervene in the Domestic Debt Restructuring (DDR) resolution passed in Parliament.
Minister Harin Fernando had recently asked the Speaker to give a decision on whether the petitions filed in the court against the proposal are a violation of the privileges of the members of Parliament.
Responding to this, the Speaker said last week that no court established under the Constitution has the power to issue any kind of orders or rulings against a resolution passed by Parliament through due process.
He said any such order or judgment by the court would be in violation of the first item of Part B of the Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Act No. 21 of 1953, as amended.
This decision has been criticized by several parties, including the main parliamentary opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, and the president of the Sri Lanka Bar Association, Kaushalya Navaratne, has announced to the media that the matter will be discussed at the executive committee meeting of the Sri Lanka Bar Association, which will be held today (16).
“This will be one of the issues discussed in the executive committee. Parliament must have certain powers and privileges. That is true, but as the matter is of considerable importance, we are discussing the matter,” the chairman said.