By Dr Reeza Hameed Those who were instrumental in drafting the Sri Lanka constitution currently in force were keen to limit parliament’s powers. Mr. J R Jayewardene, who as Prime Minister chaired the Parliamentary Select Committee on the draft 1978 constitution, remarked at one of its hearings: “We are practically a dictatorship today. There is …
By S.Sivathasan The challenge before a developing country is to transform the agrarian texture of the economy and to shift emphasis to industry and services. Such a change is known to be indispensable to move away from third world to first. But no sooner policy pronouncements are made or investment plans announced, forces of reaction …
In the supreme Court of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka In the matter of a reference under and in terms of Article 125 of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka S.C. Reference No. 3/2012 C.A. (Writ) Application No. 358/2012
Text and pix by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai New Year joys to Someone Truly LOVABLE New Year Day is observed on 1st January, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar while the New Year’s Eve is celebrated on the last day of the year – 31st December. In many countries, New Year’s eve …
Continue reading ‘Ringing in the New Year Colombo Dons Festive Gear’ »
The UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, expressed today serious concern about the impeachment proceedings against the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the recent attacks against lawyers who have been fighting for the independence of the judiciary in Sri Lanka. According to information received by the independent …
By Bandula Jayasekara It is true the Sri Lankans lost in Hobart after a fight and lost badly in Melbourne. We give credit to the Australian team for winning the Test series. But the game of cricket and the test of cricket are not over for the Sri Lankan team.
by Stephen Prins who attended her concert in Galle Driving, or rather superhighway racing, to Galle was our first thought after attending the Sri Lanka-Asia debut concert of opera star Danielle de Niese on November 14, at the Cinnamon Grand. Galle was where she would give her second concert, one week later. We had to …
By Col.R.Hariharan (Retd) The 50th anniversary of the 1962 India-China war this year, roused a lot of passions in the country. Much of it was hot air, interspersed with some critical analyses of the war and its aftermath. The analyses focused on the strategic inadequacies of the national leadership, in handling national security, that continues …
Continue reading ‘Why I Quit Journalism and Joined the Indian Army in 1962’ »
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “The Solution was to establish terror as a normal condition of life.” – Roberto Calasso (The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony) A fortnight after the UPFA won the 2010 parliamentary election Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa gave an interview delineating his dream-state. His ideal Sri Lanka would be a state locked in a …
By M.A.Sumanthiran MP November 27th this year marked an important milestone in the different phases of ethnic relations in this country. For those of us who still retain the memory of the events of 40 years ago, it was like Deja vu. Students of the Jaffna University observed the Heroes’ Day within the University premises. …
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “Sentence first, verdict afterwards…” Lewis Carroll (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) With a single pronouncement, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has cleared the air of all false hopes, unreasonable expectations and rational imaginings. In his reply to the begging-letter by Ministers Tissa Witarana, DEW Gunasekera and Vasudeva Nanayakkara, the President has stated that the impeachment …
by Rajan Philips Last year on December 16, after much hesitation, foot dragging and translation excuses, the government tabled in parliament the report of the LLRC that had been hand delivered to the President more than a month earlier. This year on December 8, ignoring calls for patience, due process, fairness and natural justice, a …
Continue reading ‘LLRC in 2011 and impeachment in 2012, will it be political destruction in 2013?’ »
by L. C. Arulpragasam In 1960 while in the Ceylon Civil Service, I was given charge of planning for the Agriculture Sector in the Department of National Planning, with the duty of looking into the economics and effects of the irrigated colonization schemes in the Dry Zone, among others. These schemes were considered by successive …
by Dr.Nihal Jayawickrama The current debate on the parliamentary resolution to impeach the Chief Justice appears to be clouded, and sometimes distorted, by several misconceptions.
by Kath Noble As I concluded last week, it is the failure of the Opposition that has put Sri Lanka into its current mess. This political system requires competition between the two main parties, since it is only fear of being thrown out of office that limits the behaviour of the Government. When the Opposition …
Continue reading ‘Failure of the Opposition has put Sri Lanka into its Current Mess’ »
by D.B.S Jeyaraj An Interview with Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha M.P-Part 2 Question: Although you say you do not perceive yourself as a “rebel” MP I am sure you must be aware of reports describing you as one. There have also been reports that you are to be moved out of Parliament on account of you …
Continue reading ‘‘I See No Reason to Resign and I Don’t Think I Would be Asked to’ – Rajiva’ »
By Somapala Gunadheera Pare ca na vijananti mayamettha yamamase ye ca tattha vijananti tato sammanti medhaga. (Antagonists do not realize that they must all die someday. The wise realize it and so end their quarrels.) National reconciliation has attracted the attention of its stakeholders ever since Independence, though much headway has not been made in …
Continue reading ‘Reconciliation in Sri Lanka Through Mutual Trust and Joint Participation’ »
By Lilani Jayatilaka Some years ago while on a visit from abroad, my niece was entertained and perhaps a little shocked when she overheard comments broadcast over the loudspeaker from a nearby school. It was the day of their annual sports meet and a teacher, obviously short-tempered, screamed into the microphone at some hapless students, …
By Gibson Bateman President Obama is still working on remaking his foreign policy and national security team, but it looks like John Kerry will be the next Secretary of State. Inside Washington, Kerry has been a leading voice on foreign policy for decades. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for twenty-seven years, …
Continue reading ‘Brief Thoughts on the Kerry Nomination and US-Lanka Relations’ »
Wishing you all a meaningful, Joyful Blessed Christmas and a Peaceful, Bright and Happy New Year ~ D.B.S.Jeyaraj
by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI’s Christmas message called on believers to “turn to the child of Bethlehem, the son of the Virgin Mary,” to ask for peace in “the land where he chose to come into the world.” “May the Lord come to the aid of our world torn by so …
By Sunitha Sahayam So, it is Christmas – 2000 years have rolled on since the day Christ entered this world. We go over the nativity scenes over and over again each year – but the time has come for us to really come to terms with what Christmas means in relation to what was foretold …
Continue reading ‘Many People are Missing out on the Message of Christ’s Birth During Christmas’ »
By Yohan Heenatigala Toronto, Canada In a recently released book by the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI says, that Jesus Christ was born earlier than commonly believed. December 25th is now considered as an erroneous date in regards the date of birth of the Jesus Christ.
by Francis Vethanayagam In a little town in Bethlehem a unique event in the history of mankind that shook the world took place over twenty centuries ago. It was the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, called Christmas.
by Jeannette Cabraal Joys of the season Carols by candle-light Faces aglow Medley of voices Vibrantly soar The sparkling tree With its glittering lights The radiant appeal In the eyes of a child Rapt in delight At the wondrous sight Jolly Old Santa A ubiquitous sight Bestowing largesse Left and right To orphan and patient …
by Rodney Martinesz Another Christmas has dawned with the cheery feeling evident all round. The run up to Christmas as always is a hive of activity with brisk shopping and hectic preparations. The streets are choked with milling crowds grabbing up the Christmas bargains and Yuletide perennials blare forth from record bars and sundry shops …
Continue reading ‘The Hijacking of Christmas by Commercial Interests’ »
by T V Pereira The eventful birth of Jesus Christ which occurred in a humble manger in Bethlehem, is celebrated as an annual commemoration by billions of Catholics and Christians throughout the world as a religious event on December 25th. According to the Gospel of St. Mathew as recorded in the Holy Bible the event …
Continue reading ‘The Eventful Birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem’ »
Text and Pix Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai “Glória in Excélsis Deo” in Latin means “Glory to God in the highest”. Christmas is an annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which fall on 25th of December. “Christmas”, the word originated from the term “Christ’s Mass”. Christmas is celebrated as a major festival in many countries.
By Prof. Asoka Perera The star is a must among our Christmas decorations. However, for a long time I was not comfortable with the Bible passage in Matthew 2:1-9. The reasons being its reference to a star, thus suggesting some relationship to astrology. But now that I know the facts related to the star, it …
Continue reading ‘Was Jupiter the Star of Wonder that Guided the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem?’ »
By Sandarangi Perera How do you get the message of Christmas across to people who may not be quite familiar with the story of Jesus Christ’s birth and life? This Christmas, Back to the Bible, a Christian inter-denominational movement, has done something novel yet familiar by creating the country’s very first Christmas pandal. Inspired by …
By Thulasi Muttulingam When 22 year old Wikum Kuruppu finished his double degree in Science and Arts at the University of Monash, he wanted to take a year off doing volunteer work, before immersing himself in a career. Born in Panadura, he migrated with his family to New Zealand when he was just two, and …
By S.Muthiah A friend from Colombo recently informed me that there was a book about Mahadevan Sathasivam (Satha to all) that had just come out and was sure that I would be interested in it. When he told me that Sathasivam of Ceylon – The Batting Legend was by Prof. Ravindra Fernando of the Department …
Continue reading ‘Mahadevan Sathasivam:Best Batsman Ceylon/Sri Lanka Has Ever Produced’ »
The 1575 page report of the Parliamentary Select Committee that probed Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranaike following a resolution signed by 117 MPs to impeach her has now been officially released. The lengthy report contains proceedings, minutes and volumes of documents which were made available by different state agencies or individuals. They were related to the …
Continue reading ‘How the Parliamentary Select Committee Hearings were Rushed Through’ »
by Justice C.V.Wigneswaran (The full text of the KeyNote address delivered at the Annual General Meeting of the Judicial Services Association held yesterday, December 22, 2012 by Justice C.V.Wigneswaran) Mr.Chairman, Your Ladyship, Distinguished Guests, my dear Brothers and Sisters! I was indeed pleasantly surprised when your President invited me to address you today. It is …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (National List MP Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha has been in the news lately for his independent approach and outspoken views. In this interview the academic turned politico speaks out openly on a number of issues including the impeachment motion against the chief justice, stalled Govt-TNA talks,National reconciliation , about the President being reportedly annoyed with …
Continue reading ‘‘I Don’t See Myself as a Rebel in Govt Ranks’ – Rajiva Wijesinha’ »
By Dr.Carlo Fonseka I believe that it was in the practice of scientific medicine that humanity perfected the technique of avoiding personal bias and prejudice in the conduct of human affairs. In these days of intense legal controversy I found it mentally stabilizing to rehearse the stages I passed through in reaching the aforesaid conclusion.
A Christmas Reflection by Bishop Duleep de Chickera Jesus was born in circumstances of political and economic oppression. Palestine had been occupied and subdued under Roman imperialism. Caesar Augustus reigned supreme over a vast empire. His pomp and power knew no limits; and he was even made out to be a god. The people of …
By Elilini Hoole In the last provincial council elections, the TNA gained sweeping victories across the North. Tamils may have done well to choose the TNA which continues to voice Tamil concerns. For, just this last June, the government implanted a military camp in Thirumurukandy, Mullaithivu by stripping those who lost their permits in the …
By S. L. Gunasekara The current imbroglio relating to the attempt to dismiss the present Chief Justice has obscured the real issue facing the country which is whether the independence of the judiciary and hence civilized governance will prevail or not. What the people must understand is that Mahinda Rajapaksa is unimportant as are Shirani …
Continue reading ‘“I do not say Shirani Bandaranayake is Lily White or Government is Pitch Black”’ »
By N. Sathiya Moorthy As coincidence would have it, the TNA could not have chosen another day for protesting the alleged security forces’ excesses on the Jaffna University campus on the extinct LTTE’s “Heroes’ Day” observances on November 27. Friday, December 21, when the TNA observed a day-long protest at the foot of the late …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “The elephant is crashing about in the room, trampling people to death, and politely ignoring it is no longer an option”. AC Grayling (To Set Prometheus Free) One year ago, at a resort in the Rajapaksa-heartland of Tangalle, a British tourist was murdered and his Russian companion brutalised. The crime was heinous; …
An on the Spot Report by Dushy Ranetunge The Sri Lankan minister of Disaster Management, Mahinda Amaraweera, was seen driving on the wrong side of the road, up Bauddhaloka Mawatha, damaging another vehicle and subsequently threatening a female passenger for taking pictures of the accident scene. Last Thursday December 20th, (approximately 2 pm) a white …
By Dr.Shirani Bandaranayake (Speech delivered at the Annual General Meeting of the Judicial Services Association held on 22nd December 2012 By Dr. Shirani A. Bandaranayake, Chief Justice of the Republic of Sri Lanka) It is indeed a great pleasure, privilege and an honour to be with you this morning. It is certainly not only due …
by Fr. Reid Shelton Fernando The whole world is set to celebrate Christmas which is specially significant for Christians who believe in God. It is the story of divine is getting involved in the humanity itself to bring liberation to the humankind. Rain soaked crib at St.Peter’s College in Bambalapitty, Sri Lanka ~ Picture by …
Consumers and human rights activists across the globe staged protests in front of clothing outlets on December 15, 2012 to warn holiday shoppers to “check the label” and boycott products made in Sri Lanka. Boycott Sri Lanka Campaign activists in U.S. cities handed out leaflets, held signs and talked to customers in Philadelphia, New York, …
by Walter Jayawardhana Dr. Chandra Wickramasinghe of the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, in the Buckingham University, UK says ‘Red Rain’ in Sri Lanka, according to preliminary investigations, contained high concentrations of arsenic and silver and “that makes them extremely unlikely to be of any earth origin”.
“The Petitioner in this application has sought a writ of certiorari to quash the findings and/or the decision contained in the report of the 2nd to the 8th Respondents marked P17. The Petitioner stated that the 2nd to the 12th Respondents were appointed by the 1st Respondent the Hon. Speaker of Parliament to a Parliamentary …
By Chitra Weerarathne The Court of Appeal yesterday said that the order to issue notice on the respondents, the Speaker and the Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee, was nothing but a legal obligation to afford the respondents an opportunity of being heard. Court issued notice returnable on January 3, 2013 in respect of the …
By Eran Wickremaratne M.P. Annually the Government presents to Parliament its income and expenditure statement, and how it intends to finance the deficit between income and expenditure. With the exception of a couple of years since independence in 1948, the Government Budget has been in deficit.
By Col R Hariharan Some of the recent policy decisions of Sri Lanka affecting Indian commercial interests are sending disturbing signals that have the potential to affect Indo-Sri Lanka relations. Will these storm signals add to the political stress created by the non implementation of the much maligned 13th Amendment to the Constitution? Sri Lanka …
by A.Selvaraj Tamil Nadu ‘Q’ branch sleuths on Wednesday arrested a key LTTE operative and electronics expert and three men he had recruited in a plan to revive the banned organisation that had been decimated by Sri Lankan forces in 2009.
By Tony Moore An 81-year-old Brisbane doctor, deported from Singapore last week, has questioned whether the Australian government played a part in his forced removal from the nation. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade yesterday said it had no involvement in human rights activist Brian Senewiratne being deported on December 14.
by Human Rights Watch The Sri Lankan authorities should immediately release or credibly charge four ethnic Tamil students from Jaffna University who have been detained since early December 2012, Human Rights Watch said today. The Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) arrested the students amid unrest in the northern city of Jaffna following a security crackdown in …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “This is what happens when men decide to stand the world on its head”. Hannah Arendt (Responsibility and Judgement) Their greed, our apathy; their fanaticism, our indifference; their brutal aggression, our embarrassing cowardice: such are the basic ingredients of the baleful concoction which is seeping into almost every aspect of Lankan life, …
“All the rights secured to the citizens under the Constitution are worth nothing, and a mere bubble, except guaranteed to them by an independent and virtuous judiciary.”- Andrew Jackson There was no surprise when the announcement came. The Ministry of Languages and Social Integration has formally withdrawn its support to an important event focusing on …
By Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (Text of Speech by former Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga at the King’s College, Zafrullah Khan Memorial lecture on the topic ‘The State and Terrorism’, held on 12 December at London’s International Centre for Studies in Radicalization. The event was chaired by Lord David Trimble of Northern Ireland, the 1998 Nobel …
By Dharisha Bastians “I think he knows what Rome is. Rome is the mob. Conjure magic for them and they’ll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they’ll roar. The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the senate, it’s the sand of the colosseum. He will bring them death – and …
Continue reading ‘Battle to Safeguard Judiciary Cannot be Entrusted to Politicians’ »
By Prof.Michael Roberts Beset by an upsurge of asylum-seekers arriving by boat from Sri Lanka, Australian government and media personnel continue to rely on the tired shibboleths of the past. Three shortcomings hinder their evaluations. Let me stress three points briefly.
Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake has filed writs of certiorari and Prohibition at the Court of Appeal against the Parliament Select Committee(PSC) that found her guilty of three charges. The Chief Justice has sought the quashing of the PSC findings and also sought the restraining of the PSC from further action on this matter.
By George Monbiot (Published in the Guardian ~ 17th December 2012 ~ via www.monbiot.com) “Mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow, nor can they heal your wounded hearts … These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change.”(1) Every parent can connect with what Barack Obama said about the murder of …
By the Lawyers Collective Judicial Service Association (JSA), the association of the judges of the original court, had organised the Annual Judges Conference, sponsored by the UNDP – under the Equal Access to Justice Programme, which is scheduled for 21 and 22nd of December 2012.
We, the undersigned note with extreme concern, the proceedings related to the impeachment hearing of the first woman Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Banadaranayake by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC). Any hearing, regardless of the person, must adhere to principles of natural justice and rule of law. In the case of the Chief Justice all those …
By Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. The recent decision of the President to seek further advice before deciding whether to proceed with the impeachment against the Chief Justice is most welcome. It suggests that he feels concern about the position to which various elements in government were propelling the legislature. There is no doubt that there have …
by V. Subrahmaniam An interesting title indeed. I was very fascinated by this title which was used by the late N.M. Narayanan two to three decades ago for his article analysing the Carnatic music scene. NMN, as he was known, was a knowledgeable and interesting music critic of The Hindu. I make bold to borrow …
By Fr. Mervyn Fernando Sri Lanka to all appearances is a very religious or religious-minded country. The following could be cited as “proof”: (1) The ubiquitous presence of Buddhist temples, Hindus kovils, Christian churches and Moslem mosques all over the country, and they are frequented by the respective adherents in large numbers on Poya days, …
By Dr.Vickramabahu Karunaratne The Rajapaksa regime is a quasi-dictatorship based on southern chauvinist Sinhala petty bourgeois. The latter was in the forefront of the war of Mahinda against the Tamil insurrection. It supplied man power and the engine of political campaign. The so-called Sinhala Buddhist ideology of war developed within these social strata. In the …
By Camelia Nathaniel The UNP Gampaha District MP Karu Jayasuriya today condemned the attack by an armed gang on senior attorney Gunaratne Wanninayake on Monday. He said that Wanninayake was a strong voice that stood up to protect the integrity and independence of the Judiciary.
By Camelia Nathaniel The UNP Gampaha District MP Karu Jayasuriya today condemned the attack by an armed gang on senior attorney Gunaratne Wanninayake on Monday. He said that Wanninayake was a strong voice that stood up to protect the integrity and independence of the Judiciary.
(Text of a Press Release Issued by the Democratic Peoples Front Media Office) Struggle of JVP was an insurgency that did not demand the division of the country but the struggle of LTTE wanted division of country. President wanted DPF leader Mano Ganesan to explain this fact to the Jaffna University students who had alleged …
AN 81-year-old Australian human rights activist has accused Singapore authorities of holding him in a cell without food, drink and toilet facilities for nearly five hours before deporting him. Brian Senewiratne, a long-time critic of Colombo over its treatment of Tamils, told AFP he flew to Singapore on December 14 en route to Malaysia to …
Text and Pix by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai Sri Lanka’s total population 20.27 million consists of 53% women according to the latest census. Saila Ithayaraj’s father was killed in shell attack in 1981 in Kantharmadam, Jaffna and her husband was shot dead at sea in 1996 in Araali, Jaffna More and more women are becoming breadwinners all …
Continue reading ‘Breadwinners: War Widows as Heads of Households’ »
By Charitha Ratwatte The recent impeachment process conducted by the relevant tribunal was overshadowed by a parallel process of impeachment conducted by a section of the media. That rump of the media attempted to play the role, of prosecutor, witness, judge, jury and hangman all in one role.
By Mo Yan (Full Text of “Nobel Lecture” by Mo Yan ,Winner of Nobel Prize for Literature 2012 on December 7th 2012. The Lecture delivered in Chinese was translated into English by Howard Goldblatt) Distinguished members of the Swedish Academy, Ladies and Gentlemen: Through the mediums of television and the Internet, I imagine that everyone …
by Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha (This speech was not delivered and I was told instead that I was expected to speak on Resettlement and on External Affairs. I had however prepared a text, which seems even more relevant now that the ‘Educational Policies and Proposals for General Education in Sri Lanka’, based on what was presented to …
Continue reading ‘The Prepared Speech on Education that was not Delivered in Parliament’ »
President Mahinda Rajapaksa should inform parliament how he intended to handle the impeachment issue, the UNP said, while strongly criticising the President for meeting editors of national newspapers at Temple Trees, where the discussion centered on the impeachment. In a hard hitting two-page statement issued from party headquarters, the UNP said that newspaper editors should …
by Dr. U. Pethiyagoda In a healthy state of governance, the three pillars, the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary should exist in a state of interdependence, cordiality and mutual respect. That it is not so is clearly evident. Subsequent to the PSC Report to the Speaker of Parliament, the President has intervened to declare …
By W. Sriyananda The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), appointed to investigate allegations against Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, handed over its report to the Speaker last week. The report found the Chief Justice guilty of three charges, despite four of its members – all in the opposition – walking out of the proceedings claiming the …
by Rasika SOMARATHNA and a Special Correspondent Asked whether Wijedasa Rajapaksa president of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and a section of the Bar hijacked Saturday’s Bar Association special general meeting, the Bar Association Vice President Anoma Gunatilleke who is tendering her resignation today said ‘Yes, of course, absolutely.’ She alleged that sections of …
Results of the Law College entrance examination held last July cannot be recognized in any way as they had been issued in a racially-biased manner, alleged president of the National Intellectual Council Bandula Chandrasekara. Results of the exam were issued yesterday (Dec. 16) and are posted on the Law College website. Speaking to Mirror, Mr. …
By Kath Noble Parliament has become a place where its members go for a free lunch when they have no better offer. And it would seem that MPs receive plenty of attractive invitations, since most of them are rarely to be seen in the chamber, even for a nap on the comfy recliners the Sri …
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “Please. How will we live if you steal from us?” Dave Eggers (What is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng) The price of petrol went up, again, as Colombo was being geared up, on presidential orders, by the military for the Night Races – a pet project of Namal Rajapaksa. …
Continue reading ‘Night Races in Colombo a Pet Project of Namal Rajapaksa’ »
An Interview with Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema (Head of the parliamentary select committee (PSC) that probed the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa says the PSC was to extend its period till January 14th when the Chief Justice, her lawyers and the opposition political parties had decided to walk …
By Chas Raymonde President Rajapaksa’s move to appoint an independent commission to look into the complaints against the Chief Justice has been greeted with a mixed review of opinions. Whether in fact this signals a volte face or not is a different matter – the committee it appears will have their work cut out. Documents …
By Gamini Weerakoon What’s happening to the country? This is a question frequently posed by thinking people and even those who do not think. This is the question we were contemplating in our thinking chair, the hansiputuwa, on Thursday morning but no ready answer was forthcoming.
By Udaya Gammanpila The impeachment motion against the Chief Justice passed an important milestone last week. The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) submitted its report to the Speaker after the completion of its inquiry. According to the Standing Orders of Parliament, the parliamentary debate on the report should commence only after the lapse of one month. …
By Vishnuguptha “I always believe that ultimately, if people are paying attention, then we get good government and good leadership. And when we get lazy, as a democracy and civically start taking shortcuts, then it results in bad government and politics.” – Barack Obama Among the charges mentioned in the impeachment motion against Chief Justice …
(Excerpts from “Temple Trees”Column in “Ceylon Today”) Only Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and his key media officials are usually associated with the President at his monthly media briefings. However, this briefing took an unusual turn with several ministers, who represented the government at the PSC too attending it. The President sprang another surprise on the …
By Bandula Jayasekara THERE is a misconception among some Australians regarding the issue of Sri Lankan asylum-seekers because of a misinformation campaign carried out by parties with vested interests. I am given to understand that some Australians sympathise with the asylum-seekers without having a clear picture of the situation. However, their sympathy would be in …
by Maheen Senanayake Yesterday’s(15) meeting of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka saw contending factions for and against the Chief Justice exchanging hot words with the majority backing BASL President Wijedasa Rajapakse, PC, adopting three resolutions:
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene A person’s conscience is of course, variable. A Presidential conscience cannot certainly be any different. In contrast, the very core of the concept known as the Rule of Law is its fixed application to all, the powerful and the powerless, a Chief Justice and a common criminal. If we are to …
Continue reading ‘What is Paramount,the Constitution or the President’s Conscience?’ »
By Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. It is ironic that, having been the only government Member of Parliament to complain over the year of the failure of the Judiciary to administer justice either effectively or efficiently, I seem now to be the only one who thinks impeaching the Chief Justice would be a mistake. This struck me …
(Media Release on behalf of the Chief Justice on today’s Bar Association meeting) The unanimous resolution passed by the General Membership of the Bar Association today vindicates the position of the Chief Justice as to the attempt to impeach her by a procedure devoid of fairness and without adhering to the basic principles of natural …
By The Lawyers Collective “The Bar Association of Sri Lanka today unanimously adopted the resolution; President to reconsider the impeachment, in the light of his recent statement on the report -If the parliament proceeds with it, then to enact a procedural law, guaranteeing Rules of Natural Justice – If the CJ is removed without following …
By Niranjala Ariyawansha and Chrishanthi Christopher The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is once again raising the fact that eventhough three years and seven months has passed since the war was‘officially’ ended; still in the Northern Province alone, there arehundreds and thousands of people striving to live off the lands they once ownedand stand up from …
By Gibson Bateman During the past year, one of the Obama administration’s biggest moves at the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) received relatively little attention inside the Beltway. In March 2012, the United States led a resolution calling on the government of Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation …
By Chitra Weerarathne Attorney General Palitha Fernando PC, yesterday told the Supreme Court that a panel of Supreme Court Judges could not be called upon to investigate allegations of misconduct against the Chief Justice or any other judge of the Supreme Court.
By Gotabhaya Rajapaksa ( Full text of the Speech delivered by Defence and Urban Development secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at the ‘Galle Dialogue 2012’ Maritime Conference held at the Light House Hotel in the southern port city of Galle) I consider it a pleasure and a privilege to address you at the opening session of this …
The appointment of an expert panel to evaluate the findings in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) which probed Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake would not clash with the on-going parliamentary process, President Mahinda Rajapaksa told newspaper editors yesterday at Temple Trees.
( Full text of the letter sent to Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa by Lawyers representing Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake) Hon. Chamal Rajapaksa The Honourable Speaker Pariiament Secretariat Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte. Honourable Sir, CONDUCT OF SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE INQUIRING INTO ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE CHIEF JUSTICE We write on the instructions of …
By Jayantha Dhanapala and Savitri Goonesekere The Friday Forum made a recent statement which drew the public’s attention to the deeply flawed nature of the procedures adopted for investigating the charges made against the Chief Justice. This statement analyzed the procedures from the perspective of the Constitution and other legal provisions. We recommended that in …
(text of letter sent to President Mahinda Rajapaksa,Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa and PSC Chairman Anura Priyadarshana Yapa by the Congress of Religions comprising leaders from the Buddhist,Christian,Islamic and Hindu faiths) At the outset, we endorse whole-heartedly the appeal of the four Mahanayake Theros to H.E. the President to set aside the impeachment motion brought against the …
(Statement issued by Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA),Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) and Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA) Further to our statement of 19 November 2012, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) and the Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA) are concerned about the developments surrounding the impeachment of the …
(The Statement issued by the Judicial Service Association (JSA) of Sri Lanka on the Findings of the Parliamentary Select Committeewhich probed the allegations of misbehavior ofthe Chief Justice of Sri Lanka) The Government members of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed to probe the charges contained in the impeachment motion have found the Chief Justice …
(The Statement issued by the Judicial Service Association (JSA) of Sri Lanka on the Findings of the Parliamentary Select Committeewhich probed the allegations of misbehavior ofthe Chief Justice of Sri Lanka) The Government members of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed to probe the charges contained in the impeachment motion have found the Chief Justice …
R. K. Radhakrishnan In a spirited defence of Chinese investments, Defence and Urban Development Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said the Hambantota port is not part of a Chinese ‘string of pearls’ to surround India.
By Camelia Nathaniel Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday acknowledged the prevailing regional concerns over China’s increasing naval presence and economic influence in the Indian Ocean, but defended both as necessities, as China has an industry intensive economy that requires oil imports amounting to more than 200 million tonnes every year.
By Marwaan Macan-Markar There has been an air of inevitability in the current showdown between the administration of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and its latest bête noire, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake. Her fall from grace shows that the Rajapaksa juggernaut does not warm up to dissent easily, even if, as in this case, it measures up to …
(Following is the text of submissions made by President’s counsel K.Kanag-isvaran before the Supreme Court on December 13th 2012) S.C. Reference 3/ 2012. My Lords, it is respectfully submitted, that we are at a critical juncture in the history of our nation. If I may borrow a phrase from history, “the Babarians are at the …
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “We were like people marooned on a dissolving floe of ice; we dare not think of the moment when it would melt away”. Czeslaw Milosz (The Captive Mind) President Mahinda Rajapaksa is lying. The President is lying when he says that he was not in favour of the impeachment, initially. The President …
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by D.B.S. Jeyaraj Tamil Comedy actor Vadivelu is expected to join the Vaiko led Marumalarchi Dradivida Munnetra Kazhagham(MDMK) at a public meeting in Trichy. Vadivelu was the top most Comedian in Tamil films for years but suffered after his active political participation in Tamil Nadu 2011 polls