The Civil High Court has denied the appeal leave requested by Salote Radrodro, a former Member of Parliament for the Social Democratic Liberal Party. The case was reviewed earlier this month by High Court Judge Justice Deepthi Amarantunga.
Justice Amarantunga noted that Radrodro was convicted based on evidence presented during the trial. He remarked that the claims of a denied fair trial stem from transferring the case from the Magistrate’s Court to a division of the High Court. He stated that the merits of these claims could be properly addressed through an appeal in the Court of Appeal, emphasizing that pursuing such matters through Constitutional Redress is not appropriate for maintaining efficiency, consistency, and fairness.
He characterized seeking leave to appeal as an abuse of process given the stated reasons.
Background details reveal that Radrodro is seeking permission to appeal an earlier decision which dismissed her claim for Constitutional Redress related to an alleged abuse of process. Originally charged in the Magistrates Court, her case was subsequently moved to a division of the High Court, a transfer she contested. The lower court’s ruling on this matter was appealed but did not succeed, and no further appeals were pursued.
The court also acknowledged that Radrodro’s request for Constitutional Redress was based on her right to a fair trial, asserting that her trial could not proceed before a Resident-Magistrate. This transfer, which is also cited as a basis for appeal in the Court of Appeal, was considered by the High Court, but ultimately, it ruled against granting Radrodro leave to appeal, with no costs awarded.