The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has strongly criticized the government's efforts to undermine the Supreme Court’s interim order regarding the appointment of Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon.

In a statement, the BASL highlighted that neither the President nor the Prime Minister has the authority to override the Supreme Court’s decisions. This condemnation follows a special statement by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in Parliament on Friday, appearing to reject the court’s order.

The Supreme Court had issued an interim order on Wednesday preventing Tennakoon from performing his duties as IGP. This decision came after considering nine petitions, including one from Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, challenging Tennakoon’s appointment.

The BASL stated that the claim suggesting the Supreme Court lacks power to question presidential appointments, approved by the Constitutional Council, is untenable. They cited Article 41J of the Constitution, which allows such decisions to be reviewed under the Supreme Court’s Fundamental Rights Jurisdiction.

The BASL warned that the government's failure to respect court decisions could lead to a loss of public confidence in the justice system and pose a significant threat to democracy.