News - Govt, UNP agree on 18th Amendment

While the Janatha Vimukthi Peramun is warning of shock treatment for the proposed CEB Reforms Bill, the main opposition UNP and the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration have reached a politically significant agreement on the 18th Amendment to the constitution.

The 18th amendment providing for the setting up of courts of appeal in five circuits covering the nine provinces to reduce laws’ delays will be presented in parliament on Thursday.

UNP chief whip and former Speaker Joseph Michael Perera said yesterday his party would support the amendment and give it a two-thirds majority after the government agreed to a vital change whereby it would be the president of the Court of Appeal and not the Chief Justice who would decide on the location of the provincial courts of appeal.

The bill was taken up for debate in February last year but the process was delayed due to disagreement between the government and the UNP on certain provisions. But after intense discussions, the differences were sorted out last week.

With the setting up of regional courts of appeal, the 18th Amendment also provides for the number of appeal court judges to be increased from 11 to 21.

The Government-UNP accord on the 18th Amendment came after the government accepted an amendment to be moved at the Committee Stage of the debate.

The original 18th amendment had made provision for the Chief Justice, acting in consultation with the President of the Court of Appeal, to designate the place or places at which the sittings of each circuit of the Appeal Court would be held.

However, the UNP wanted the power, together with year of operation, jurisdiction and other matters be placed in the hands of the president of the Court of Appeal.

“We have handed over the changes we propose to the Secretary General of Parliament. The Government has assured us it would support the amendment,” Mr. Perera said.

The circuits are the Southern circuit comprising the Southern province, Midland Circuit comprising the Central and Uva provinces, the North Western and Central circuit comprising the North Western and North Central provinces, the North Eastern circuit comprising the Northern and Eastern provinces and the Western and Sabaragamuwa circuit comprising these two provinces.

The amendment comes amidst growing concern over the backlog of about 12,000 cases in the Court of Appeal with litigants from all over the country having to come to Colombo to seek redress from the appellate courts.