යෝජිත නව ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව (Third Republic Constitution) Chapter XXI

CHAPTER XXI

 

High Court (HC)

 

176.       (1) There shall be a High Court for each Province, and each High Court of such Province shall consist of the President of such High Court and not less than seventeen and not more than twenty one other Judges.

(2) There shall be a special High Court of Sri Lanka with all the powers of a Provincial High Court under this Chapter, which shall entertain expeditious proceedings for serious corruption cases.

(3) Attorney Commission, Anti-corruption Commission, and National Audit Commission shall have the right to initiate proceedings for serious cases in High Court of Sri Lanka.

177.       A bench of not less than three Judges shall sit in a trial.

178.       The judgment of a High Court shall be the decision of the majority.

179.        Every such High Court of a Province shall:

(1) exercise according to law, the original criminal jurisdiction in respect of offences committed within Province;

(2) notwithstanding anything in Article 165, and subject to any law, exercise appellate and revisionary jurisdiction in respect of convictions, sentences and orders entered or imposed by Magistrate Courts and Primary Courts within Province:

Provided that High Court of a Province shall be the final appellate court for petitions originated in Primary Courts within Province;

(3) exercise such other jurisdiction and powers as this Constitution, or Parliament or State Assembly may, by law, provide.

(4) have jurisdiction to issue, according to law, orders in the nature of habeas corpus, in respect of persons illegally detained within Province, and orders in the nature of writs of certiorari, prohibition, procedendo, mandamus, and quo warranto against any person exercising, within Province, any power under any law, in respect of any matter devolved to Local Councils under the provisions of Chapter X.

(5) Judicial Service Commission may delegate to such High Court the power to inspect and report on the administration of any Court of First Instance within Province.