Former MP Duminda Silva, who has filed an appeal against his death sentence in the Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra murder trial, made a request from the Supreme Court to expedite the process of his appeal.

Silva, through his lawyers, made the request, citing medical reasons.

A three member Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Priyasath Dep considered the request and ordered Colombo High Court Registrar to expedite the documentation process of the appeal brief.

Silva and four others were sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court in a divided ruling, for the murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and three others in 2011.