FR petition filed by Joseph Stalin dismissed

The Fundamental Rights petition filed by General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers Union Joseph Stalin challenging the legality of preventing protests using quarantine regulations was today dismissed by Supreme Court. Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Justice Priyantha Jayawardena, Justice Shiran Goonaratne and Justice Janak de Silva refused to grant leave to proceed with the petition when it was taken up for support. This petitioner had named IGP Chandana Wickremaratne, Director General of Health Services Asela Gunawardena, the OIC of Thalangama Police, the OIC of Mirihana Police Station, Health Minister Pavithra Devi Wanniaarachi and Attorney General as respondents. The petitioner said the protestors gathered at Battaramulla junction on the 8th of July, against the proposed Kotalawela Defence Academy Bill. The petitioner stated that around 11 am, a group of police used excessive force to disperse the protestors and arrested the corpus together with around 30 persons. The petitioner stated that the protestors who were released on bail by Colombo Magistrate then forcibly taken to quarantine centre in Mullaitivu without any presence of the health authority or antigen test or PCR test. The petitioner was seeking a declaration that the  Petitioners' fundamental rights under Articles 12(1), 13, 14(1)(a), 14(1)(b) and 14(1)(c) guaranteed under the Constitution have been infringed by the respondents.