Jan 21, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Supreme Court took up four petitions against the parliamentary select committee appointed to probe the impeachment against the Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake and standing orders 78A.

The petitions were filed by Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), Chandraguptha Thenuwara, Mahinda Jayasinghe and Janaka Adhikari.

Deputy Solicitor General Shavindra Fernando appearing for the Attorney General appealed the four petitions to be forwarded to the Chief Justice Mohan Peiris to appoint a five member panel of judges to hear the petitions.

The counsels appearing for the plaintiffs opposed the move stating that they would be based on two rulings of the Supreme Court and the Appellate Court and they would not accept the procedure of appointing the Chief Justice as legal.

However, the three member panel of judges comprising justices Nimal Gamini Amaratunga, P.A. Rathnayaka and Eva Wanasundera decided to forward the documents to the Chief Justice when he requests them.