Sarath N. Silva ordered to appear before Supreme Court

Colombo (News1st): The Supreme court today ordered former Chief justice Sarath N. Silva to appear before the court on the 7th of next month over charges of contempt of court. A case was filed against the former Chief Justice alleging that he had made comments that were in contempt of court at a rally in Maradana on the 3rd of December 2018. Senior Professor Chandragupta Thenuwara, Professor Hewawaduge Cyril, and Senior Professor Prishantha Gunawardena have also been summoned. Former CJ Silva was present in court today before a bench comprising Justices Murdu Fernando, Vijitha Malalgoda and S. Thureiraja. However, his lawyer President's Counsel Romesh De Silva stated that he was present based on information he received through media reports, and did not receive a summons to be present in court. The bench considered this and ordered Saratrh N. Silva to reappear in court on the 7th of February. Speaking to the media after appearing in Court, Former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva noted that he worked as a legal professional for 51 years and has held every position in the judicial bodies. He noted that he has never insulted the court because insulting it would be insulting himself. Silva went onto note that he has been insulted in seven pages of the petition adding that the charges against him are baseless. Journalists questioned him regretting certain decisions that he gave during his tenure as Chief Justice. He noted that if the journalists are speaking about Mahinda Rajapaksa's Helping Hambanthota case, he did not say anything like that. The former Chief justice added that a man told him that he could've put Mahinda Rajapaksa in Jail with one sentence. But he noted that the decision was given according to the evidence presented and if he made a mistake with it he requested for forgiveness. When journalists questioned him about the public statement made saying that the decision he handed was wrong Sarath N. Silva said he never said that and did not give a verdict like that. He questioned as to how they can find fault with a decision he never gave.