All BIA-related cases moved out of Negombo courts, in surprise move

Negombo - Lawyers are vehemently protesting against moves by the Justice Ministry to transfer all cases filed by the Bandaranaike International Airport Police and the Katunayake Police to the Minuwangoda courts from the larger Negombo Magistrate’s Court.
At an extraordinary General Meeting of the Negombo Law Society (NLA) on Wednesday night (September 20), it was unanimously decided to protest against this decision by the Ministry.
Most of these cases are pertaining to narcotics trafficking, human trafficking and other crimes. The transfer has been effected through an extraordinary gazette notification no. 2027/22 dated July 12, 2017 with immediate effect. The NPA (NLA) is demanding that the move be reversed.
Charitha D Jayanatha, Attorney-at-law and President, NLA, on the sidelines of the meeting told TimesOnline that the transfer of cases is against litigants in these case and their relatives, various officials such as CID, Immigration and specially the foreign diplomats and international agency officials and authorities are yet to provide an acceptable reason for the move. He said that as far as they are aware there is no reason as to why this was done.
He said that the new Negombo Courts Complex was constructed in 2013 on a six acre block of land with eight court houses, large spacious office areas, 100 toilets, large canteens, large prison cells to accommodate prisoners, a vehicle park for nearly 200 vehicles and space to accommodate a large number of litigants and others.
The consensus of NLA is that this move appears to have been initiated by a powerful minister of the former government along with another opposition politician in the Minuwangoda area with government authorities for to benefit a ‘few lawyers’ in that area. The gazette notification was issued when Wijedasa Rajapaksha was the Minister of Justice. Mr. Jayanatha commented that this move is like families being pushed to huts when there are well furnished large houses with all amenities.
Indika Perera, NPA (NLA) Committee Member, said the Negombo Courts Complex is the second largest in the provinces, after Kandy. He said that this gazette notification came as a surprise as there was no prior intimation whatsoever and even the Negombo Judicial Officers were aware of this transfer only on Monday, September 19 after the gazette was issued. 
He said the move entails great risk and danger because when these cases are referred to the Minuwangoda Courts, the remand prisoners have to be brought from Negombo Prisons and taken back after the cases. Going to and fro for a distance of 20 km involves a serious risk since there is a possibility of attacking prisoners during transport. Such attacks have occurred in the past. Furthermore when cases are heard in Negombo, the courts is close to the prisons.
The Minuwangoda Court house is small and has limited facilities.
The NLA has petitioned the President, Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, Chief Justice, the Bar Association and other relevant officials urging them to take action to immediately reverse this decision and also that they are contemplating to take legal action against the move. (Quintus)