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BASL for an independent JSC free of interference and influence
The Council of the Bar Association unanimously decided that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) should be able to function independently without any interference or influence.
This was among the resolutions passed when the Bar Council met yesterday, when it strongly condemned the assault on JSC Secretary Manjula Tillekaratne, and expressed solidarity with the judiciary.
The Council “while reiterating the importance to maintain the independence of the Judiciary”, also agreed that the Judiciary should be able to function independently without any “interference or influence whatsoever from any quarter,” the resolution read.
The Bar Council also agreed to request the President, the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General to expedite investigations to arrest the attackers, Bar Association President Wijeyadasa Rajapaksha PC., told the Sunday Times.
The Bar Council decided to entrust its management committee to make necessary representations to the relevant authorities on the above matters, Mr. Rajapaksha said.
He said that, as a first step, the management committee comprising himself, Secretary Sanjaya Gamage, Deputy President Anoma Gunatilaka, Treasurer Rasika Dissanayake and Assistant Secretary Charith Galhena would meet the JSC Chairman, Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake and two other members of the JSC tomorrow.
Last Sunday the Executive Committee of the Bar Association met after the attack on the JSC Secretary and decided to call for a meeting of the Bar Council, Bar Association Secretary Sanjaya Gamage said.
“We are a professional body and we could not take the membership to the streets to protest, without following certain formalities,” Mr. Gamage said, responding to allegations that the BASL was slow in responding to the attacks on the Judiciary.
No arrests yet
At least eight persons have been questioned in connection with the attack on Judicial Service Commission (JSC) Secretary Manjula Tillekaratne, but no suspects have been arrested so far, a senior Police officer said yesterday.
The Police released the sketch of the main suspect to the media on Thursday as Mr. Tillekaratne could only identify the main suspect, the officer said.
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