22A: SC urged to suspend hearing, appoint full bench

Sugandhika Fernando, representing the Vinivida Foundation, requested the Supreme Court to suspend the ongoing hearing and appoint a full bench, excluding Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, to address the petitions challenging the 22nd Amendment Bill. Chief Justice Surasena, Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe, and Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Shiran Gooneratne, Achala Wengappuli, and Priyantha Fernando were among the respondents.

The petitioner challenged the decision to appoint a five-member bench, alleging it violated public law norms. She also sought a larger bench to hear the special determination applications on the 22nd Amendment. The petitioner claimed that Chief Justice Surasena, retiring in December 2026, would benefit most from the amendment. The hearing, which lasted nearly 12 hours, concluded with the Chief Justice declining to allow further oral submissions from the petitioners' counsel and instructing them to submit written arguments instead.