The Court of Appeal in Colombo has ordered the reactivation of the six-year prison sentence imposed on Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera for contempt of court, taking effect immediately. The order directly implements the Supreme Court’s recent determination to invalidate the presidential pardon previously granted to him.
The order was delivered by a Court of Appeal bench comprising Justices Mayadunne Corea and Lakmali Karunanayake. The judicial move follows a September 10 determination by the Supreme Court, which ruled that the presidential pardon awarded to Gnanasara Thera was legally invalid.
Gnanasara Thera was originally convicted on contempt of court charges and sentenced to serve six years’ imprisonment. Following that conviction, he was released from custody after receiving an executive presidential pardon from former President Maithripala Sirisena, a measure that the nation’s highest court has now overturned.
Key Developments
- The Court of Appeal bench, consisting of Justices Mayadunne Corea and Lakmali Karunanayake, ordered the immediate reactivation of Gnanasara Thera’s six-year prison term.
- The decision follows a September 10 Supreme Court ruling declaring the presidential pardon granted by former President Maithripala Sirisena legally invalid.
- Gnanasara Thera was originally convicted and sentenced to six years behind bars on contempt of court charges prior to the disputed pardon.
With the executive pardon formally struck down by the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal’s latest directive ensures the immediate enforcement of Gnanasara Thera’s original penal sentence.