Petition against new phone laws

A lawyer filed a writ application in the Appeal Court yesterday (August 04th) against a law that proposes the prevention of the use of mobile or CDMA phones by anyone other than the registered owner.

The petitioner, Sudarshana Gunawardena, filed the petition citing the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, its Chairman Lalith Weeratunga and the TRC Director General as respondents.

Filing the application as public interest litigation, Mr. Gunawardena said on July 12th, the TRC made an announcement in the media that mobile and CDMA phones could only be used by the registered owners.

The lawyer complained that the proposed law would create a series of problems to phone subscribers and users.

He said this law would even prevent people using phones registered under their spouses and would ultimately result in a large number of cellular phones and CDMA users being be forced to discontinue the existing phone connections and buy new telephone connections.

The petitioner charged the proposed law was arbitrary, unlawful, against the Telecommunication Regulatory Act and it was not in the interest of the telephone users of this country.

He asked court to issue an order staying the TRC announcement and to quash the proposed law.