By The Pulseline News Desk
The Court of Appeal has today dismissed in limine a writ petition filed by Sarvajana Balaya leader and Parliamentarian Dilith Jayaweera, challenging the legality of a complaint made by the Colombo Fort Magistrate in connection with contempt of court proceedings.
A three-member bench comprising President of the Court of Appeal Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya, Justice Chamath Morais and Justice Adithya Patabendige has unanimously rejected the petition at the preliminary stage.
Jayaweera had invoked the writ jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal challenging the legal validity of the complaint lodged by the Colombo Fort Magistrate, which relates to contempt of court proceedings.
The petition had sought judicial intervention over the complaint and questioned its legality.
However, after considering the matter, the three-judge bench had decided that the petition should be dismissed in limine, meaning the court rejected it without proceeding to a full hearing on the substantive issues raised in the application.
The unanimous decision places the legal challenge brought by the Sarvajana Balaya leader at the Court of Appeal stage, while the underlying contempt-related proceedings remain the subject of the separate judicial process.
The case also highlights the limits of writ jurisdiction when parties seek to challenge proceedings arising from the lower courts, with the Court of Appeal exercising its discretion to determine whether such applications should proceed to a substantive hearing.
The dismissal came as Jayaweera, who entered Parliament following the 2024 general election, continues to face legal scrutiny in relation to the proceedings arising from the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s complaint.
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