S Lankan judiciary locks horns with parliament

The Supreme Court had served a notice to members of the select committee which is looking into impeachment charges against the chief justice Shirani Bandaranayake, asking them to appear before it.

However, in a major snub Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa said that the Supreme Court had no power to issue notice to the parliament.

"No outside entity has any authority over the Speaker, parliament or any committee appointed by the Speaker," Rajapaksa who is the elder brother of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

Refusing to back down, a three-member bench today again sent a notice to the 11-member select committee (PSC) returnable on December 10.

The 11-member select committee is probing 14 charges against the chief justice.

The next hearing is scheduled for December 4.

The motion seeks removal of the island's first ever woman chief justice in a culmination of a months long clash between the judicial and executive wings of the government.