Notice No. 3/2021

(A) Following the lockdown imposed within the Police Division of Keselwatte from 26^th October 2020, the Court of Appeal did not function until the restriction was relaxed on 16^th November 2020. Even after recommencement, the Court of Appeal only sat to hear cases designated as urgent by parties and to deliver judgments. All other cases that had been listed for argument, support, mention or judgment however were not taken up due to the lockdown.

(B) With the lifting of the lockdown on 4^th January 2021, it is now possible to reschedule those cases that had been fixed for argument, support, mention or judgment during the period 26^th October 2020 – 18^th December 2020 but which have so far not been taken up on any other date. The practice adopted in the past has been to mention such cases on a date before the appropriate Division, and re-fix cases on dates convenient to Court and Counsel. However, the said course of action would consume a fair amount of judicial time, and prevent argument and support matters being taken up during the first term of 2021.

(C) Hence, given the extraordinary situation that has arisen, the following procedure would be adopted in respect of all cases that were scheduled to be taken up during the period 26^th October 2020 – 18^th December 2020, but which have not been taken up during that period.

(C1) All cases fixed for a particular date shall be taken up for the same purpose on another date (the Re-scheduled Date), before the appropriate Division (the New Division), set out in the Schedule to Notice No. 2/2021.

(a) For example, CA (Writ) Application No. 166/2018 which was to be mentioned before Court No. 301 on 26^th October 2020 shall now be mentioned on 19^th January 2021 before Court No. 206, which is the Division of this Court assigned with the hearing of Writ Applications filed in 2018.

(b) Similarly, CA (Writ) Application No. 227/15 which had been fixed for argument before Court No. 206 on 26^th October 2020 will stand fixed for argument on 19^th January 2021 and will be taken up for argument before Court No. 206, which is the Division of this Court assigned with the hearing of Writ Applications filed in 2015.

(C2) However, if the Re-scheduled Date of a case fixed for argument is not convenient to Counsel, the Instructing Attorney / Counsel of such party shall contact the Instructing Attorney / Counsel appearing for the opposing party, agree on a date for argument convenient to both Counsel, preferably within the First Term of 2021, and email to the Deputy Registrar at priyandike@gmail.com a motion containing the agreed date, on or before 18^th January 2021. All such cases shall thereafter be listed for argument on the date agreed by the Instructing Attorneys / Counsel. In the event the Instructing Attorneys / Counsel are unable to reach agreement, a motion shall be filed to that effect and such case shall be mentioned on the Re-scheduled Date.

(C3) If any party wishes to have a case mentioned, for whatever reason, prior to the Re-scheduled Date, the Instructing Attorney of such party shall file a motion with notice to the other party, moving that the said matter be mentioned in the appropriate Court on a date five working days after the date of filing of the motion.

(D) The original date and the corresponding Re-scheduled Date are as follows:

Original Date	Re-scheduled Date
26^th October 2020	19^th January 2021
27^th October 2020	20^th January 2021
28^th October 2020	21^st January 2021
29^th October 2020	22^nd January 2021
02^nd November 2020	27^th January 2021
03^rd November 2020	01^st February 2021
04^th November 2020	02^nd February 2021
05^th November 2020	03^rd February 2021
06^th November 2020	08^th February 2021
09^th November 2020	09^th February 2021
10^th November 2020	10^th February 2021
11^th November 2020	11^th February 2021
12^th November 2020	12^th February 2021
13^th November 2020	15^th February 2021
16^th November 2020	16^th February 2021
17^th November 2020	17^th February 2021
18^th November 2020	18^th February 2021
19^th November 2020	19^th February 2021
20^th November 2020	22^nd February 2021
23^rd November 2020	23^rd February 2021
24^th November 2020	24^th February 2021
25^th November 2020	25^th February 2021
26^th November 2020	01^st March 2021
27^th November 2020	02^nd March 2021
30^th November 2020	03^rd March 2021
01^st December 2020	04^th March 2021
02^nd December 2020	05^th March 2021
03^rd December 2020	08^th March 2021
04^th December 2020	09^th March 2021
07^th December 2020	10^th March 2021
08^th December 2020	15^th March 2021
09^th December 2020	16^th March 2021
10^th December 2020	17^th March 2021
11^th December 2020	18^th March 2021
14^th December 2020	19^th March 2021
15^th December 2020	22^nd March 2021
16^th December 2020	23^rd March 2021
17^th December 2020	24^th March 2021
18^th December 2020	25^th March 2021

(E) In addition to the above, the cases that were scheduled to be mentioned before Court No. 205 will be mentioned in the New Division on the following dates:

Original Date	Next date
24^th August 2020	19^th January 2021
28^th August 2020	20^th January 2021
02^nd September 2020	21^st January 2021
04^th September 2020	22^nd January 2021
08^th September 2020	27^th January 2021
14^th September 2020	01^st February 2021
16^th September 2020	02^nd February 2021
17^th September 2020	03^rd February 2021
18^th September 2020	08^th February 2021
28^th September 2020	09^th February 2021
05^th October 2020	10^th February 2021
07^th October 2020	11^th February 2021
12^th October 2020	12^th February 2021
14^th October 2020	15^th February 2021
19^th October 2020	16^th February 2021

(F) All cases where no date has been fixed will be mentioned in Court No. 301 on 1^st February 2021. A notice containing a list of such cases shall be published in the website of the Court of Appeal in due course.

By Order of the Hon. President of the Court of Appeal

REGISTRAR OF THE COURT OF APPEAL

On this 8th day of January 2021

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