AC President recuses himself from hearing prison attire case pertaining to Gnanasara Thera
Court of Appeal President Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya yesterday withdrew from the bench hearing petitions challenging the decision by prison authorities to require Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera to wear prison attire following his imprisonment. The decision was announced when the petitions seeking to invalidate the prison authorities’ decision were taken up for consideration on October […]
Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya, President of the Court of Appeal, withdrew from the hearing of petitions related to the decision made by prison authorities concerning Gnanasara Thera's attire. This came after the petitions were brought before the court on October 14. Following his recusal, a bench of three judges was established to review the cases.
The disputes involve the prison service's mandate for Gnanasara Thera to wear prison clothing after being arrested to complete his sentence for contempt of court. In September, the Supreme Court overturned the presidential pardon granted to him by former President Maithripala Sirisena in May 2019. Consequently, the Court of Appeal mandated the Commissioner General of Prisons to proceed with implementing the remaining portion of Gnanasara Thera's prison term.
Initially, Gnanasara Thera received a six-year prison sentence for contempt of court but had already served approximately nine months before his pardon in 2019.
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