In a swift response to an urgent appeal, the Court of Appeal today issued an interim order suspending the decision made by the Puttalam High Court Judge to remand a lady lawyer over an alleged contemptuous conduct.

The decision was made following a writ petition filed by Rajeev Amarasuriya, the newly elected President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL).

The controversial ruling, which was issued last Friday, placed the lawyer behind bars in connection with charges of contempt of court. Amarasuriya's petition invoked the Court of Appeal’s jurisdiction, questioning the legitimacy of the Puttalam High Court's order, which he described as wrongful, arbitrary, and irrational.

Legal practitioners have expressed growing concern over the judge’s decision, with many raising alarms about the potential misuse of judicial powers.

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said there is no legal barrier in bringing a motion to remove suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon from the office of IGP as claimed by former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.

The Court of Appeal today directed the relevant Returning Officers to suspend the election activities until tomorrow (02), in relation to Local Government institutions where political parties and independent groups have filed petitions challenging the rejection of nomination papers.

The Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) has been made compulsory for obtaining all services from the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT). In an official notice, DMT Commissioner General Nishantha Anurudda Weerasinghe announced that the requirement to provide a TIN will be enforced from April 15.

Former State Minister Sathasivam Viyalendran, who was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has been further remanded until April 8.

The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today ordered that former Uva Provincial Councillor and former Minister Chamara Sampath Dasanayake be further remanded till April 8 over the alleged withdrawal of six fixed deposits maintained by the Uva Provincial Council in a State bank at Badulla in 2016.

Referring to the recent sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom on top Sri Lankan military officials, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, who played a significant role in the country’s civil war, stated that the sanction against former Army Commander Shavendra Silva was unreasonable.

Sri Lanka has experienced a significant surge in HIV/AIDS cases in 2024 recording over 800 cases. According to the National STD/AIDS Control Programme, Sri Lanka has logged 824 cases reflecting a 18 per cent increase compared to the year 2023, which saw 694 cases.

A direct flight service between Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu and Jaffna in Sri Lanka commenced today after 47 years. Due to the war situation, flight services at the Palaly International Airport, Jaffna were suspended, but in 2019, the airport resumed its services. Passenger flights between Chennai and Jaffna started after the reopening of the airport.

Former Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles has arrived at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to record a statement. According to reports, the former minister arrived at the CID to record a statement regarding the shooting incident in front of a prominent hotel in Weligama in 2023.

The draft bill for the government’s recovery of assets acquired through illegal means, the Proceeds of Crime Bill, will be presented to Parliament on 08 April 2025, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. Addressing a public meeting in the Welipitiya area in Matara, President Dissanayake said that frauds and the corrupt will not be allowed to rule the country again.