A three-judge bench has been appointed to hear the appeal filed by former Member of Parliament Hirunika Premachandra, which seeks to overturn the prison sentence imposed upon her.
The case was referred to the President of the Court of Appeal to determine the next steps, following a split decision regarding the appeal she had filed.
Accordingly, when the case was taken up today (11) before the President of the Court of Appeal, Rohantha Abesuriya, it was announced that a new bench of judges had been appointed to hear the matter.
The bench comprises Judges Rohantha Abesuriya, P. Kumaran Ratnam, and Pradeep Hettiarachchi, and the appeal is scheduled to be heard on January 21. Hirunika Premachandra was found guilty by the Colombo High Court on charges including the abduction of a young man in a Defender vehicle, his unlawful detention, and assault. She was sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine; she has since filed an appeal against this verdict.