Court of Appeal President steps aside from Gnanasara Thera prison attire case

Court of Appeal President Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya withdrew from the bench hearing the matter when petitions challenging the prison authorities' decision were scheduled for consideration on October. The recusal removes the senior judicial officer from adjudicating the case, which centres on whether the directive requiring the imprisoned Buddhist cleric to wear prison-issued clothing is lawful.

The petitions filed on behalf of Venerable Gnanasara Thera seek to overturn the decision by prison authorities regarding his dress code while in custody. The case raises questions about the rights and privileges accorded to religious inmates and the scope of prison administration authority.

With Justice Abeysuriya's withdrawal, the matter will proceed before an alternate bench of the Court of Appeal. The recusal follows established judicial practice whereby judges remove themselves from cases in which their impartiality might reasonably be questioned or where procedural grounds warrant such action.