COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Sri Lankan Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, facing several accusations including improper conduct, faced impeachment by her country's Parliament.
The government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa had appointed Bandaranayake, an academic, as the country's first woman chief justice only last year.
However, there are now 14 charges against her and she has been accused of "stepping out line," The Hindu reported. Amassing wealth and property and not declaring assets are among the other charges.
Political opponents were quoted as saying the impeachment effort follows a recent impasse between Bandaranayake and the Legislature and the Executive over a bill designed to take away some of the powers of the country's provinces.
The bill would empower a ministry controlled by Basil Rajapaksa, a brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on spending millions of dollars of development funds, The Hindu reported. The bill had been challenged by the Tamil National Alliance and Bandaranayake ruled it must be approved by all nine Provincial Councils.
Democratic People's Front leader Mano Ganesan reportedly tweeted: "World is calling Rajapaksa to share power. Instead of sharing, he is taking back what is already shared by law."
Hundreds of lawyers have protested the move against the chief justice, and the BBC quoted critics that it is only an attempt against the Supreme Court's independence.
The Rajapaksa government, however, has assured due process would be followed and that the impeachment effort is not designed to suppress the judiciary.
Critics also say the pending bill is designed to stop implementation of regional devolution sought by the largest party representing the minority Tamils as well as India and the United States, the BBC said.
The impeachment proceedings would now require Parliament Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, another brother of President Rajapaksa, to set up a select committee, The Hindu reported. The committee will have at least seven lawmakers including four from the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance, which currently has a two-thirds majority.
The committee's findings will then be debated in Parliament. Passage of any motion only needs a simple majority, the report said.
