Court of Appeal Postpones Archchuna Ramanathan Case Until December 16

The Court of Appeal has postponed the resumption of arguments in a Quo Warranto application challenging the eligibility of Jaffna District MP Archchuna Ramanathan to remain in Parliament until December 16, 2026.

The case was taken up on Monday (October 12), but arguments could not resume as the bench scheduled to hear the matter was not properly constituted.

Archchuna’s newly appointed registered attorney, Kaushalya Narendran, also informed the court that the MP intended to retain new legal counsel.

Accordingly, the court scheduled the resumption of arguments for December 16 before a bench comprising Justices Mayadunne Corea and Mahen Gopallawa.

Attorney Senani Dayaratne, who previously represented Archchuna, will no longer appear on his behalf.

Attorneys N.K. Ashokbharan and Shenal Fernando appeared for the petitioner, Oshala Herath.

The Quo Warranto application was filed by Herath, challenging Archchuna’s eligibility to serve as a Member of Parliament. The petitioner alleges that Archchuna remained a government medical officer when he submitted his nomination papers for the 2024 General Election.

The petition argues that he was disqualified from contesting the election under constitutional provisions restricting public officers from being elected to Parliament while holding government office.

However, Archchuna’s legal representatives have previously argued that he had been interdicted from his medical position without pay and should therefore not be considered a public officer for the purpose of the disqualification.

During earlier proceedings, whether Archchuna continued to hold public office when he submitted his nomination papers emerged as a key issue in the case.

The petitioner is seeking a Writ of Quo Warranto declaring that Archchuna is not legally entitled to hold his parliamentary seat.

Archchuna has also made remarks in Parliament on several occasions suggesting that he may not remain an MP for long, apparently referring to the ongoing legal challenge.

With the case postponed until December 16, Archchuna can continue serving as an MP while proceedings remain pending, unless the court orders otherwise.

A Writ of Quo Warranto is a legal remedy used to challenge a person’s authority to hold public office.

The Court of Appeal has yet to deliver a final ruling on the application.