Archives

Supreme court rules Bill to incorporate Christian missionary body unconstitutional

by Mallika Wanigasundara

The Supreme Court has ruled that a Bill to incorporate a Christian missionary organisation that aims to carry cut the spread of Christianity in Sri Lanka, is unconstitutional.

The Bill to incorporate the New Wine harvest Ministry was presented in Parliament recently by Colombo UNP MP Mano Ganeshan, as a Private Members Bill.

The Petitioner in the case was Indrani Devendre, Secretary of the All Ceylon Women's Buddhist Congress. The Attorney General was cited as respondent in the case.

The New Wine harvest Ministry which aims at promoting Christianity lists the following functions: to conduct meetings on Christianity, gospel meetings, cottage meetings, youth discipleship meetings, individual meetings and Bible studies.

The bill also declares that on the basis of the Christian faith it would carry out activities that would uplift the socio-economic conditions of the people of Sri Lanka.

The petitioner Ms. Devendre said that this Christian organisation could fraudulently convert people. She, alleged that certain sub-clauses in the bill facilitated such conversions, and prayed that the Supreme Court rule that the bill is in violation of Articles 9,10 14 (1) of the Constitution.

Devendre said that under Article 9 of the Constitution, it is the duty of the state to give Buddhism a foremost place and accordingly it is the duty of the state to protect and foster the Buddhasasana while ensuring the religious rights of other religious groups.

The Supreme court earlier directed counsel to submit written submissions on the applicability of a previous determination on a similar case regarding an incorporation.

The bench comprised the Chief Justice Sarath N.Silva, Justices Hector S. Yapa and T.B. Weerasuriya.

Manohara de Silva with W.D. Weeraratne, and G.W.C. Bandara Thalagune appeared for the petitioner.

Deputy Solicitor General P.A. Ratnayake, with State Counsel Arjuna Obeysekera appeared for the Attorney General.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager