Mathiparanan Abraham Sumanthiran vs. Hon Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, Speaker of Parliament, – SC FR 37/2024-2024

Brief
In the case between Mathiparanan Abraham Sumanthiran (petitioner) and Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, Speaker of Parliament, and Honourable Attorney General (respondents), the issue concerned whether the certification and endorsement of the ‘Online Safety Bill’ adhered to constitutional mandates. It was held that actions taken by the 1st Respondent in certifying the Bill were not subject to judicial review, as the constitutional ouster clauses (Articles 80(3) and 124) bar such intervention after a Bill is endorsed, and the petition was dismissed accordingly. The principle reaffirmed is that parliamentary processes surrounding legislative enactment, once concluded with the Speaker’s certification, are insulated from judicial scrutiny. Relevant constitutional provisions and previous judici