Feb 03, Colombo: The Supreme Court has decided to reject the request made by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) to issue an interim order to the respondents including the Ceylon Electricity Board to prevent power cuts during the period of the GCE Advanced Level examination.

The Supreme Court bench comprising judges Gamini Amarasekera, Kumuduni Wickramasinghe and Shiran Gunaratne made the decision when a petition filed by the HRC against several parties including the Ceylon Electricity Board was considered today.

When the hearing concluded today, President's Counsel Upul Jayasuriya, who represented the Human Rights Commission, made a request before the court and asked to extend the pledge given by the Ceylon Electricity Board to the court yesterday that they will not cut electricity until today.

President's Counsel Romesh de Silva, who appeared on behalf of the Ceylon Electricity Board, objected to that request.

At that time, Judge Gamini Amarasekera, who examined the case file, pointed out that the relevant pledge has been given only until the consideration of the petition today.

After that, the bench stated that it rejects the request made in the petition submitted by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to issue an interim order to prevent the power cuts during the period of the GCE A/L examination.

When the complaint was called for consideration this afternoon, the lawyer representing the complainant Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission making submissions before the court alleged that the chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) had violated the pledge given by the CEB that the power cuts will not be imposed during the period of the exam.

The lawyer stated that the CEB Chairman has disrespected and insulted the authority of the Human Rights Commission through his action.

The Chairman of the three-judge panel, Judge Gamini Amarasekera, speaking in the open court, pointed out that the representatives representing the Chairman of the Electricity Board have expressed their agreement before the Human Rights Commission that they will not cut electricity, subject to the approval of the board of directors.

The judge questioned in spite of this, how only the chairman could be punished and said that the court should first clarify the facts. Further consideration of the petition was then adjourned till February 7th.