Oct 26, Colombo: The appointment of Manjula Tilakaratne as Secretary to Sri Lanka's Judicial Services Commission (JSC) has violated the Constitution, External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris has said in the parliament.

Minister Peiris has explained that Tilakaratne appointed to the post of JSC Secretary was the 30th in the seniority list.

He has tabled the seniority list in the parliament and said that according to the law, the most senior judge of the courts of first instance should be appointed JSC Secretary.

According to Prof. Peiris, most problems faced by the judiciary had resulted following this appointment to the JSC.

He has added that the appointment of a junior official to such a post was an invitation for disaster and that the JSC Secretary has overstepped his mandate.

Tilakaratne recently leveled allegations against the executive saying that the Judiciary Services Commission has come under interference from the executive.