The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake
Hon. Bimal Rathnayake argued that Standing Order 31 was not applicable but, since time had been granted, requested equal time for his side. He stated that public pressure can shape legal processes and that courts have properly reviewed presidential actions such as pardons and public expenditure where they may conflict with the purpose of the law. He emphasized that judicial oversight and scrutiny of abuses of power strengthen democracy, while noting that any fuller debate should be taken up under the appropriate procedure.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, Standing Order 31 does not apply here. Members have ample avenues to raise substantive matters. However, since time was allowed, I request equal time for us as well. On substance: public demands and pressures shape legal processes. Courts have reviewed presidential actions, including pardons and uses of public funds, when exercised contrary to the purpose of the law. Judicial oversight strengthens democracy. While each organ should not unduly interfere with another, all three operate within one ecosystem with evolving boundaries. Abuses of power have harmed democracy; thus scrutiny is necessary. A fuller debate can be scheduled under an appropriate procedure.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Tuesday, 5 August 2025 ·No. 1754902606038704 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 5 August 2025. No. 1754902606038704. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/27846