Monks defy CJs order

by Telles Anandappa (ToL)

(September 05, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A group of Buddhist Monks defied an order of the Chief Justice when they failed to respect the bench today and were asked vacate the court premises as requested by the Chief Justice.

The incident occurred when a motion filed for the bail application of a Buddhist monk charged for contempt of court was taken up before a bench comprising of the Chief Justice. Earlier the monk of the Welikadawatta temple Rajagiriya Pannala Pannayaloka thera failed to turn up in courts after being charged for sound pollution by using loudspeakers at the restricted time allotted by the courts.

Over 40 Buddhist monks failed to arise when the Chief justice and the judges of Supreme Courts walked in for the commencement of the sessions. The Chief Justice speaking to Attorney at law Kalyananda Thiranagama who filed the motion for bail told him to ask the monks to abide by the rules of the courts which any one present in courts should arise when the judges walk in.

The CJ said that if they cannot abide by the rule the monks should leave the courts.

However, the monks refused and in turn the CJ said that the motion for bail was being rejected. He said hearing will be on the due date of September 15.

Thereafter the monks left the premises. - Sri Lanka Guardian