News
Attackers of JSC Sec would be arrested soon, President assures BASL
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assured a Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) delegation that met him on Thursday that those who attacked Judicial Service Commission (JSC) Secretary Manjula Thilakaratne would be arrested soon.
“The President promised the BASL Management Committee the attackers of the JSC Secretary would be arrested within a few days,” the Association’s Secretary Sanjaya Gamage told the Sunday Times.
Passing a resolution in the aftermath of the attack on Mr. Thilakaratne on October 13, the BASL entrusted its management committee including BASL President MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe to meet with the President, the Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police to urge the arrest of the offenders without undue delay.
“The President also noted that the JSC was summoned to discuss the allocation of funds for the judges’ welfare in the coming Budget,” Mr. Gamage said. In an earlier resolution, after the issuance by the JSC of the media release dated September 18 stating it was under attack from various quarters, the BASL agreed to meet with the Chief Justice to discuss the nature of threats and interference stated in the media release.
Mr. Gamage added that President Rajapaksa also said Parliament has to decide on the future course of action with regard to the impeachment of the Chief Justice.
In a special meeting of the Council of the Bar Association on October 18, it unanimously agreed the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) should be able to function independently without any interference or influence. The Bar Council also passed resolutions ‘strongly condemning’ the assault on the Judicial Services Commission Secretary and expressing solidarity with the judiciary.
The Council also resolved, “while reiterating the importance to maintain the independence of the Judiciary” it also agreed that the Judiciary should be able to function independently without any “interference or influence whatsoever from any quarter.”
Meanwhile, issuing a media release, Lawyers for Democracy (LD) convener Lal Wijenayake warned that the ‘unprecedented mudslinging campaign’ and attack on the judiciary has far reaching repercussions on the rule of law.
“We are shocked to hear the contents of the Parliamentary debate where there were baseless attacks on the JSC and we are further disturbed by the fact that Parliament had been misled on the appointment of the Secretary of the JSC,” it said.
The LD also expressed it fullest confidence in the Chief Justice, the JSC and the Judiciary in general and expressed confidence the public would stand by the judiciary ‘at this hour of need’ to protect the ‘last bastion of Democracy and Justice’.
Meanwhile the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) which is conducting investigations into the attack on the JSC Secretary on October 7, having questioned around thirty people currently is now going through the scientific evidence, Police Spokesman SSP Prishantha Jayakody told the Sunday Times.
However, he said no arrests have been made.In a related a development, Mt. Lavinia Chief Magistrate Nirosha Fernando on Wednesday ordered the CCD to submit the reports of the investigations into the attack on November 14.
Bar Assn. seeks meeting with Speaker on CJ
The Bar Association has sought a meeting with Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa to discuss issues relating to the Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, Bar Association Secretary Sanjaya Gamage told the Sunday Times, yesterday.
As a matter of urgency the Bar Association Executive Committee took the decision on Thursday to meet with the Speaker and was awaiting a positive response Mr. Gamage said.
While expressing its concern over the ‘unfolding developments’ the Ex-Co also decided to meet on November 7 to review the outcome of the meetings before calling a general meeting of the membership on November 10.
The Executive Committee met on Friday evening following a request by 107 lawyers to call for a general meeting to discus the future action in relation to the impeachment motion.
Earlier on Thursday, the Management Committee of the Bar Association also met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Follow @timesonlinelk
Related Posts:
BASL for an independent JSC free of interference and influenceThe Council of the Bar Association unanimously decided that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) should be able to function independently ...
Litigants turned away as lawyers absent themselves in protestThousands of litigants island-wide had been turned away from courts as the lawyers refrained from appearing for cases in protest ...
Private lawyers as judges: BASL says ‘no’The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has unanimously rejected a move by the Colombo Law Society to call on the ...
BASL to intervene in contempt case against ministerThe Bar Council of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) decided yesterday to intervene in the contempt of court ...
Mannar court attack: Judge queries CID’s decision to seek AG’s adviceIf every police investigation report is sent to the Attorney General for advice, it might delay the speedy adjudication of ...