Naththa Wenuwata Aththa:

leave to appeal withdrawn

Wasantha RAMANAYAKE

The Supreme Court yesterday allowed to withdraw an application for Leave to Appeal from an interim order from the Commercial High Court that restrained the distribution of "Naththa Wenuwata Aththa," a book authored by former Parliamentarian and NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa.

The Court allowed the application to withdraw the appeal on the basis that the main application will be argued in Commercial High Court in May.

The Bench comprised Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, Justice Chandra Ekanayake and Justice S.I. Imam.

Petitioner-respondent Wimal Weerawansa filed the Leave to Appeal application in the Supreme Court challenging the interim order issued on May 27, 2007 by the Commercial High Court restraining Weerawansa from printing, publishing and the distribution of "Naththa Wenuwata Aththa," until the conclusion of a case in the Commercial High Court filed by plaintiffs JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe and its General Secretary Tilvyn Silva.

They filed the case in the Commercial High Court seeking a permanent injunction order preventing the book being printed, published and distributed on the basis that it contained internal documents of the Central Committee of the JVP that are protected under intellectual property rights.

Weerawansa stated that the interim order was misconceived in law and sought to set aside same.

President's Counsel Faiz Musthapa appeared for Wimal Weerawansa.