Supreme Court Reverses Sirisena's Controversial Pardon Decision

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has overturned former president Maithripala Sirisena's 2019 pardon of murder convict Shramantha Jayamaha. The court ruled the pardon unconstitutional and ordered Sirisena to pay compensation. The convict must return to prison to serve his sentence. Sirisena faces multiple legal challenges related to his presidency.

The Sri Lankan Supreme Court reversed former president Maithripala Sirisena's decision to grant a presidential pardon to a murder convict, ordering him to pay compensation to the victims involved.

The three-member bench deemed his 2019 pardon of Shramantha Jayamaha, who brutally murdered a Swedish woman, unconstitutional.

Jayamaha, convicted of beating Yvonne Jonsson to death in 2005, had originally been sentenced to death after multiple appeals. Sirisena granted a pardon just days before stepping down from the presidency in 2019.

This latest Supreme Court decision mandates that Sirisena pay one million Sri Lankan Rupees each to the petitioner and the victim's parents. It also orders Jayamaha to return to prison to serve his still-pending sentence.

Since April, Sirisena has been embroiled in various legal issues, including being found guilty of criminal negligence in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. He has so far paid only part of the ordered compensation. His successor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, faces similar scrutiny for granting pardons to convicted political associates.

Under Article 34 of the Constitution, presidential pardons in Sri Lanka are subject to a procedural process. The recent rulings underline the judiciary's role in upholding constitutional norms.