Actor-politico Ranjan Ramanayake given four years RI for contempt
Moved to Correctional Centre for Youthful Offenders for quarantine
COLOMBO – The Supreme Court on Tuesday (12) sentenced actor-politician Ranjan Ramanayake, a Member of Parliament for the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB), to four-years Rigorous Imprisonment for Contempt of Court.
Prison officials later moved Ramanayake to the Correctional Centre for Youthful Offenders in Pallansena, Negombo, for quarantine.
Ramanayake was charged for allegedly making disparaging remarks about the judiciary at a press conference in 2017.
The three-judge-bench that delivered the sentencing comprised Justices Sisira de Abrew, Vijith Malalgoda, and Preethi Padman Surasena. A State-owned local English daily reported that the Judges had reviewed the tape of Ramanayake making the remarks.
Reportedly, Ramanayake had, following a discussion with former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees on August 21, 2017, told media that the majority of judges and lawyers in the country were corrupt.
Ven. Magalkande Sudantha Thera and retired Air Force officer Sunil Perera, filed complaints in the Supreme Court claiming Ramanayake had insulted the judiciary by undermining the public’s trust in the country’s apex court.
Dr. Asanga Welikala, Director, Edinburgh Centre for Constitutional Law said though imprisonment over contempt of court charges is legal, it was increasingly seen as inappropriate and disproportionate.
“A public apology should be adequate in such an event,” he told EconomyNext.
Welikala said though the power to punish for contempt of court lies completely at the discretion of the court, many countries in the Commonwealth where English law principles are used have introduced legislation to regulate contempt of court powers.
“Such Acts balance the need to ensure respect for the judiciary with the freedom of expression, and impose limits on punishments. Generally imprisonment, rigorous or otherwise, is now regarded as an inappropriate and disproportionate form of punishment for contempt offences. A public apology should suffice,” he said.
MP Ramanayake is set to lose his Parliament seat due to his sentencing. He was arrested on two occasions in January and April last year for committing for allegedly interfering with the functions of judges and for obstructing the duties of the police. He was released on bail on both occasions.
-economynext.com/ENCL/Pix- J. Sujeewakumar/ENCL