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Away with the CJ as Govt. has its way, as usual
The lack of transparency, the indecent haste, the total disregard for fairplay and justice make a mockery of the legitimacy of the CJ’s removal By Chandani Kirinde, Our Lobby Correspondent The fate of Chief Justice (CJ) Shirani Bandaranayake was sealed on November 1, 2012; the day a motion signed by 117 Government legislators seeking her [...]
Political Column
Govt. considers new CJ but Shirani won’t go
= Unprecedented chaos and confusion continues with senior lawyers urging judges not to sit with any new CJ = US, Britain and Commonwealth Secretariat issue tough statements and Govt. faces grilling at UNHRC sessions = UPFA insiders say force may be used to prevent CJ from entering courts, but lawyers also planning counteraction By Our [...]
5th Column
Justice on the chopping block
My Dear Rizana, Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your loved ones as we come to terms with the news that you have been beheaded despite the numerous pleas made on your behalf by all those who were concerned about your welfare. Even though you are no more, Rizana, I thought I must [...]
From the sidelines
Justice was buried with Rizana
From the sidelines By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya The extremely sad and shocking news of housemaid Rizana Nafeek’s sudden execution in Saudi Arabia reached Sri Lanka on Wednesday. This was the day before parliament began the debate on a motion to impeach the Chief Justice – the culmination of a process widely condemned as having failed to adhere [...]
Focus on Rights
Democracy mourns for judgment fled to brutish beasts
As the sun went down this Friday on barebodied ruffians raucously celebrating Parliament’s spectacularly unjust impeachment of the country’s Chief Justice with crackers and kiribath, judgment fled to brutish beasts and Sri Lanka entered its darkest phase since independence. This Government with its ineffectual ally, the main Opposition United National Party, could together boast of [...]
The Economic Analysis
Two critical challenges in 2013: Fiscal and trade deficits
After averting the so-called “fiscal cliff”, President Obama said there is need to reduce the fiscal deficit while spending more in those areas that will determine the development of the US. This is even truer of the challenges facing Sri Lanka’s economy. Reforms of state enterprises and more prudent government expenditure are needed to reduce [...]
Talk at the Cafe Spectator
Malini draws the curtains on Kelaniya
“Aney Ammo!!! Mata Kelaniya nam epaa, epaa mai” (Oh!!! I do not want Kelaniya electorate) bemoaned well known actress Malini Fonseka. She was not on the set of a new film. The real life drama for her came in the lobbies of Parliament in Sri Jayawardhanapura-Kotte. A group of her UPFA colleagues, including Arundika Fernando, [...]