When the case was taken up before the Chief Magistrate of the Magistrate’s Court today, the attorney, appearing for the Attorney General, informed that “Magistrate’s Court is not bound by the “observations of the Court of Appeal thar directed the Elephant and her calf should not be released”. The same request was made by the lawyer who represented the party who claims to be the owner of “Sujeewa” the elephant.
However, Senior Counsel Ravindranath Dabare, appearing for CEJ Directeress ; Ms Nilmal Wickramasinghe (AAL) and Ms. Samadhi Hansani Premasiri (AAL) , challenged the request, pointing out that the Magistrate court is bound by the “Observations and Directives” of Court of Appeal. He therefore requested and recommended that the “The elephant and the calf to be kept in the same place where they are currently being held.”
Quoting the constitutional and legal provisions Senior Counsel Ravindranath Dabare also emphasized the rights of Lawyers and Environmental organizations to intervene in the case.
After listening to all the submissions , the Hon. Chief Magistrate ordered the parties concerned to put forward written submissions on their rights to intervene in the case and decided to reconvene the case on October 01.
