Trial-at-bar appointed to hear case over Easter Sunday attacks

A trial-at-bar has been appointed to hear the case over the Easter Sunday attacks.

The Attorney General had requested the Chief Justice to appoint a special three-member high court bench to hear the case.

Accordingly, the Chief Justice has appointed the three-member bench led by High Court Judge Damith Thotawatte.

Judges Amal Ranaraja and Navaratne Marasinghe will serve as the remaining judges in the trial-at-bar.

A local group that allegedly pledged allegiance to the ISIL (ISIS) group were blamed for the six near-simultaneous suicide bomb attacks which hit three churches and three hotels on April 21, 2019.

Another suicide bomber who had entered a fourth hotel left without setting off his bomb but later died by suicide after detonating his explosives at a different location.

The Attorney General has filed 23,270 charges against 25 people in connection with the attacks killed 269 people.