The Court of Appeal has dealt a significant legal setback to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, dismissing without hearing a writ petition he had filed in connection with the investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
Petition Dismissed at Threshold
The court's decision to reject the petition without even taking it up for consideration marks a notable development in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the deadly bombings that claimed the lives of more than 270 people on Easter Sunday, 21 April 2019.
By refusing to entertain the writ application at the outset, the Court of Appeal effectively cleared the way for investigators and authorities to continue their work probing the circumstances surrounding the attacks and any potential failures in the national security apparatus at the time.
Background to the Case
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who served as Sri Lanka's President from 2019 until his resignation in 2022, had previously held the post of Defence Secretary at the time of the Easter Sunday bombings. Critics and victims' families have long called for accountability from senior officials who they allege had prior intelligence warnings about a possible attack but failed to act accordingly.
The dismissal of his petition signals that the former president will not be able to use the courts to shield himself from scrutiny related to the probe, at least through this particular legal avenue.
Significance for Victims and Their Families
For the hundreds of families who lost loved ones in the coordinated suicide bomb attacks on churches and hotels, the court's ruling is seen as a step — however incremental — towards justice. Victims' groups have repeatedly expressed frustration over the pace of accountability measures since the attacks.
- Over 270 people were killed in the Easter Sunday attacks
- More than 500 others were injured
- Six locations across Sri Lanka were targeted simultaneously
- Prior intelligence warnings were alleged to have gone unheeded
Legal Process Continues
The dismissal does not represent a final verdict on any criminal matter but does remove one potential legal obstacle from the investigative process. Authorities are expected to press ahead with their examination of how the attacks were allowed to occur and whether state officials bear any responsibility for lapses in security.
The case continues to attract close public attention in Sri Lanka, where demands for full transparency and accountability over the Easter Sunday tragedy remain as strong as ever among civil society groups, religious communities, and opposition politicians alike.
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Will anything actually happen or just more delays? dont trust this system.
Finally some justice for those families. took too long already.
Long time yes but at least now cant escape like before.