Maithripala Sirisena apologizes for pardon error; Indian judge links divorces to pandemic

Former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has issued an apology to the public regarding the legal situation of Gnanasara Theru. Sirisena stated that a technical error by officials led to the recent High Court decision that invalidated the presidential pardon and upheld the monk's imprisonment.

Sirisena explained that while the Presidential Secretariat's legal division notified him of the need for approval from the Ministry of Justice and Prisons, the formal request was never sent to the Ministry. Consequently, only his signature was obtained, which he described as a misleading administrative failure. He noted that he respects the court's decision regarding the contempt of court and obstruction of judicial proceedings charges.

In India, Madras High Court Judge N. Anand Venkatesh observed that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted marital stability. While presiding over a family dispute case, the judge noted that a vast majority of pending divorce cases involve marriages contracted between 2019 and 2022.

The judge remarked that in over 95 percent of these cases, couples lived together for only six to nine months. He suggested that pandemic lockdowns may have prevented mutual understanding and instead exposed personality conflicts and stress, leading to rapid marital breakdowns.