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Resistance against any new CJ grows
Boycott new appointee: BASL urges judges; Lanka faces Commonwealth questioning The Bar Council, the main policy making body of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), yesterday endorsed a decision by its Executive Committee to support a demand by senior lawyers to Supreme Court Judges. It is calling upon them not to sit with a [...]
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UNP to file suit against crossover MPs
By Chandani Kirinde The UNP said yesterday it would take legal action against 16 of its crossover MPs who voted for the motion to remove the Chief Justice from office on Friday even though they were asked to vote against it. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told the Sunday Times letters had been sent to [...]
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UN adds its voice to world outcry over Rizana’s execution
The UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions yesterday expressed his outrage at the execution of Sri Lankan housemaid Rizana Nafeek. The Rapporteur, Christof Heyns, said “International law, accepted as binding by Saudi Arabia, was clear that it was unlawful to execute someone who was under 18 when they allegedly committed a crime. [...]
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TID arrests TNA Jaffna district MP’s close associate
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Kilinochchi district organiser and Jaffna district MP K. Sritharan’s close associate A. Velamahilathan was arrested by the Terrorist Investigations Division (TID) last evening in Kilinochchi, police said. The arrest came a day after the army arrested another supporter of Mr. Sritharan, a businessman, in Jaffna, and handed him over to the [...]
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Ven. Dhammarathana Thera new chief incumbent of Mihinthale Rajamaha Viharaya
Ven. Walawahengunuwewe Dhammarathana Thera who was the acting chief incumbent and guardian of the Mihinthale Rajamaha Viharaye was appointed the chief incumbent of the temple. This appointment was made by the Malwatte Chapter Mahanayake, Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera, and accepted by the Buddhist Affairs Commissioner General, Chandraprema Gamage. The appointment makes Ven. Dhammarathana [...]
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3 vie for BASL presidency
Three lawyers on Thursday handed over their nominations for the Bar Association presidency, to Solicitor General Yuwangan Wijethilake. Tiranta Walaliyadda P.C., Senior Counsel Upul Jayasuriya and Attorney-at-Law S. Thangaraja handed over their nominations, while incumbent Secretary, Attorney-at-Law Sanjaya Gamage handed over his nomination for Secretary, which was uncontested.Elections are scheduled for February 20.
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Female Tamil soldiers meet students in skills enhancement programme
The Sri Lanka Army’s first intake of female Tamil soldiers visited Colombo on Friday and met university undergraduates and students at the Presidential Secretariat. The visit is part of a programme to familiarise new Army recruits from the North with the South. The visit was organised under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, under the [...]
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No bar to SC or CA to review impeachment process: Appeal Court President
By Wasantha Ramanayake Holding there are no constitutional bars to limit jurisdiction to review the impeachment process by Judges of the Superior Court (SC) or the Court of Appeal (CA), the Court of Appeal on Monday quashed the findings of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) findings against Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake. “If the legislature [...]
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Back to firewood for cooking if gas prices go up again
By Mirudhula Thambiah Consumers are considering cooking with firewood if gas prices continue to go up in price. Last Saturday the Consumer Affairs Authority permitted LP gas suppliers Litro and Laugfs to raise the price of a 12.5 kg gas cylinder by Rs.150. The new price of a Litro and Laugfs LP gas cylinder is Rs. [...]
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Sanjaya awarded Kadirgamar Journalism Scholarship
Sanjaya Nallaperuma of the Lakbima is the recipient of the 2012/2013 Lakshman Kadirgamar Journalism Scholarship. He will proceed shortly to follow the Diploma in Journalism course at the prestigious Manorama School of Communication (MASCOM) in Kerala, India, under the tutelage of well known Professor Thomas Oommen. Hundreds of journalists working in the Indian media are [...]
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Family disputes leave more and more kids in the lurch, says NCPA
Steps to be taken to reintegrate children in foster homes with their families By Nadia Fazlulhaq With parents abandoning children violating the child’s rights and the growing number of such cases due to family disputes and domestic violence, authorities are under pressure to reintegrate families, National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) Chairman Anoma Dissanayake said. She [...]
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Dengue: Take it more seriously, say health officials
Eleven year-old Sanduni Apsara from Borelesgamuwa was excited about getting back to school on January 2, the first day of term for the New Year. She wanted to show off the new pencil case she got during the school break to her class mates. However, this was not to be. On December 28 (Friday), Sanduni [...]
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Stale food products on sale, claim authorities
Sellers charge officials demand bribes to release stocks with minor blemishes By Charundi Panagoda and Tharooshie Mahahewage As Colombo markets get flooded with expired food products, Government authorities blame sellers for unscrupulous practices while sellers accuse authorities of corruption. Just last week the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) detected more than 100, 000 kilos of potatoes, [...]
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Rough seas and the cost of fish
Story and pix by Amadoru Amarajeewa. For nearly two weeks, fisherfolk in Trincomalee and Puttalam have been unable to put out to sea due to the unusually bad weather conditions. They have been forced to drag their boats inland to keep them away from the waves and avoid damage to their vessels. Namal Priyadharshana, Chairman [...]
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The waters go down, but the woes continue
Residents affected by floods and landslides want government officials to do more to help them pick up their lives. Aanya Wipulasena reports The floods in most areas of the country have receded, but the impact of it continues to cause hardship to thousands of affected people with charges that compensation and relief were trickling in [...]
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Magic from mudhole: A leisure-cum-health park for Nugegoda
By Hansani Bandara Like swords turn into ploughshares in times of peace, a wetland turned into a leisure-and-health park in post-conflict Sri Lanka yesterday in keeping with the Government’s programme of giving the much-needed facelift to Colombo and its suburbs. The latest marsh or the mudhole that bloomed as a health park with jogging and [...]
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Feeding wild elephants is high-risk entertainment
By Malaka Rodrigo Yala’s iconic tusker Gemunu has developed bad habits after being encouraged by visitors who tempt the animal with food and other tidbits. Gemunu comes to the road, stops Safari Jeeps and dips his trunk into the vehicles jeep in search of snacks. Wildlife lover Riaz Cader had a closer encounter with Gemunu [...]
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Human activities driving reptiles to extinction
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Habitat loss is impacting severely on reptiles, both terrestrial and freshwater, in Sri Lanka and other tropical regions while nearly one in five reptilian species in the world is threatened with extinction, an important study has found. This first-ever global analysis of the extinction risk in reptiles, published in Elsevier, a leading [...]
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Kelaniya PS members seek police security fearing reprisals
CID details how attack was carried out, escape planned By Damith Wickremasekara The Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha members have sought additional police security from the Inspector General of Police in fear of reprisal attacks on them after the slaying of one of their colleagues and the arrest of the key suspects involved in the shooting. The [...]
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Khuram killing: Brother asks will justice prevail despite inordinate delay
Tangalle killing of a British citizen on Christmas Eve 2011 | Namini Wijedasa in an exclusive e mail interview with victim’s brother Nasir Shaikh Every day, even when snow lies deep on the ground, Mohammed Shaikh visits a grave at the Rochdale Cemetery to mourn the passing of a son who was murdered in Sri Lanka. [...]
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Torture in Sri Lanka: Not a closed chapter
By Prof. Ravindra Fernando (Excerpts from a lecture delivered on the invitation of the British Scholars Association recently) “All tremble at punishment All are frightened of death Make an example of yourself Do not kill or cause to kill” – Lord Buddh All religious leaders have condemned torture and killing. Torture and other human right abuses have [...]
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When parliamentary democracy is against people
By Edmund Ranasinghe Parliament has outlived its historical role. History has seen to it. From the arena of the freedom struggles it has been reduced to the theatre of antics, inanities and senseless drama. The battleground of the brave, the patriot and the wise, it has degenerated into the sanctuary of the witless and the [...]
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New regulations say links with al-Qaeda, Taliban a punishable crime
By Chandani Kirinde External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, in keeping with Sri Lanka’s obligations to the United Nations, presented to Parliament regulations that will impose sanctions on individuals and entities associated with al-Qaeda or the Taliban. The regulations presented on Tuesday will give effect to the UN Security Council resolution adopted unanimously in October 1999. [...]
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Supermarkets and suppliers already smarting under 2013 taxes
By Bandula Sirimanne and Chamal Weerakkody Supermarkets are already feeling the impact of the 12 per cent value added tax (VAT) that came into effect on January 1. The Budget for 2013 has slapped both VAT and the Nation Building Tax (NBT) on trading businesses with a quarterly turnover of Rs. 500 million and over. [...]
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LC Principal rescinds re-correction, awaits Legal Ed. Council approval
New student registration suspended pending CID investigations into alleged malpractices in the LC entrance exam By Nadia Fazlulhaq The Law College (LC) Principal has withdrawn his request for re-correction of the controversial 2012 LC entrance exam papers, until the Council of Legal Education gives its approval, Examinations Commissioner W.M.N. Pushpakumara said. The controversy surrounding the [...]
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CCTV inside buses to ensure passenger safety
By Aanya Wipulasena The National Transport Commission (NTC) has taken steps to instal CCTV cameras inside private buses, following numerous complaints the commission received from commuters. The complaints related to violence against women, sexual harassment, insensitive and indifferent treatment meted to the differently-abled or injured, pregnant women and the clergy, particularly non-Buddhist clergy not getting [...]
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Bloody ivory for temples; Lanka violates international conventions
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Sri Lanka will suffer a major loss of face in the eyes of the international community if the “blood ivory” from Kenya confiscated by the Customs last year is released to Buddhist temples including the Dalada Maligawa through the Presidential Secretariat, conservationists warned this week. Condemning reported instructions by the Presidential Secretariat [...]
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Thugs, hooligans attack lawyers, police look on
Blatant State-sponsored thuggery as politicised scarecrows in khaki look on in benign benevolence By Namini Wijedasa Police, including armed STF personnel, stood idly by on Thursday, as pro-government thugs with wooden poles beat up demonstrators who convened at Hulftsdorp, to decry the Chief Justice’s removal and the breakdown of the Rule of Law. The attackers [...]
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President wants CJ to retire
Compromise proposed at Temple Trees meeting with other Supreme Court judges; full pension rights offered By Ranjith Ananda Jayasinghe President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared yesterday that there was still time for Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake to retire with full pension rights. He made the remarks when he met judges of the Supreme Court at ‘Temple Trees’ [...]
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The Rule of Lawlessness: Police stand and stare
In a scene which projects the breakdown of the Rule of Law, pro-Government thugs and hooligans are seen marching towards lawyers and civic action groups who were protesting against the impeachment motion. Tragically, a police officer looks on helplessly at the violation of law and order. Pic by Indika Handuwela
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Miscarriage of justice cuts down Rizana’s life
As a poor family in Mutur mourns the untimely death of a daughter and sister in far away Saudi Arabia and activists hit out, Charundi Panagoda reports on a beheading that should have and could have been averted Rizana Nafeek was taken out of her prison cell, dressed in white robes, blindfolded and handcuffed. The [...]
