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View(s):National Law week from Feb 27-March 5
National Law Week 2017 will be held across the island from February 27 to March 5.
Held under the theme “Justice for you,” this year’s National Law Week will see various projects, workshops and activities taking place island-wide with the participation of over a 1,000 attorneys-at-law representing all regional bars, comprising both official and unofficial in Sri Lanka.National Law Week, the brainchild of the late Justice C.G. Weeramantry, has been an annual fixture since 2006. National Law Week is an event organized by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka through a committee headed by the National Law Week Chairman Kuvera de Zoysa PC along with Convener and attorney-at-law Nishan Premathiratne.
According to Mr. Premathiratne, National Law Week aims to start a dialogue and educate the general public, law students, legal and other professionals about the laws that apply to them on a daily basis, while also providing the necessary support structure via workshops and legal aid to address targeted requirements of professionals.
In keeping with the theme, National Law Week’s agenda will include the presentation of a legal handbook to the general public, awareness programs on targeted legal issues raised by the general public via TV and radio, career guidance programs from law students, workshops for judges and attorneys-at-law, awareness programs for targeted professionals, and legal aid clinics to be carried out across the island, Mr. Premathiratne explained. Special activities will be carried out for the beautification of the Hulftsdorf Court premises in conjunction with the Department of Prisons.
The main programme and exhibition will be held at the Hulftsdorp Courts Complex in Colombo on March 3 and 4 and will feature legal aid clinics in order to provide free legal advice and legal aid to any individual. President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, Minister of Justice Wijayadasa Rajapakshe, Chief Justice K. Sripavan and Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya PC are among the dignitaries expected to attend.
Similar legal aid clinics will be open to the public from February 27 to March 4 at the respective courts complex premises of the following bars: February 27 – Marawila and Chilaw, February 28 – Badulla, March 1 – Kurunegala, March 2 – Balapitiya, March 3 – Ratnapura, March 4 – Jaffna.
People who intend to attend the legal aid clinics in Colombo on March 3 and 4 to obtain free legal advice are requested to register with the BASL by calling 0113133864 or 0113133872. Further information can also be obtained from the BASL office at No 153, Mihindu Mawatha, Colombo 12.