Sri Lankan court suspends Presidential Pardon given to Duminda Silva

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Tuesday (31) issued an interim order suspending the Presidential Pardon given to Ex-MP Duminda Silva, who was on death row for the murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court ordered for Duminda Silva be taken back into custody.

The Supreme Court ordered the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department to take the necessary action to enforce the court order, and also ordered the Attorney General to assist and advise the CID on the matter.

Further, the Supreme Court imposed an overseas travel ban on Duminda Silva as well.

The orders were made by Supreme Court Justices P. Padman Surasena, Yasantha Kodagoda, and Achala Wengappulli who permitted the examination of three fundamental rights applications filed by Hirunika Premachandra, her mother Sumana Premachandra, and Former Human Rights Commissioner Ghazali Hussain, PC who challenged the Presidential Pardon given to Silva by the President.

The examination of the applications will commence on the 1st of September.