Lawyers killed (courtesy of Dharman Wickremaratne)
During the second JVP insurgency (1986–1990), 15 human-rights lawyers were killed—8 by government security forces and affiliated paramilitaries, and 7 by JVP insurgents. In addition, 5 lawyers in the North—A. Amirthalingam, Kandasamy Annamale, Padmanathan, T.C. Vimudas, and T. Yogeswaran—were killed by the LTTE.
On 15 January 1990, following a request from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), the government granted compensation of US$1,300 to widows and US$650 to legal dependents of murdered lawyers. International NGOs and the Australian and Canadian governments supported BASL’s human-rights assistance efforts.
As violence escalated, both the JVP and state-linked groups engaged in killings, abductions and intimidation. In response, citizens’ committees and human-rights activists filed nearly 2,000 Habeas Corpus cases by March 1990. District Human Rights Protection Committees were established across 16 districts. The Colombo District Committee was led by Advocate Prince Gunasekara (Chairman), Advocate Charitha Lankapura and Advocate Kanchana Abeypalaya (Joint Secretaries), with Dr. Hema Gunathilaka (Treasurer) and Dharman Wickremaretne (Organizer).
Lawyers Killed (15 in the South)
The following lawyers were killed during the insurgency:
Wijedasa Liyanarachchi, Charitha Lankapura, Kanchana Abeypala, Sanath Karaliyadda, Neville Nissanka, Warnapala Ranatunga, A. W. Wettasinghe, C.W.J.K. Weeraman, A.W. Wickramasinghe, Tudor Keerthinanda, Amara Wellappili, Sarath Sepala Ratnayake, D.M.U. Bandara, Leslie Yatanwala, and Gamini Medagedara.
About 75% of the Habeas Corpus cases filed in this period were handled by these lawyers. Senior police officers Premadasa Udugampola and Douglas Peiris were implicated in some of the killings.
Brief Profiles of Selected Lawyers
- Wijedasa Liyanarachchi – A former JVP leader turned lawyer, abducted on 25 August 1988 and tortured to death. Post-mortem showed 19 broken ribs and over 100 internal injuries.
- Charitha Lankapura – Prominent JVP student activist and lawyer; killed on 7 July 1989 by the PRRA. His funeral became a major public event before security forces seized the body.
- Kanchana Abeypala – Human-rights lawyer and Sarvodaya activist; killed on 28 August 1989. He had personally filed 189 Habeas Corpus cases.
- Sanath Bandara Karaliyadda – Nuwara Eliya District Citizens’ Committee organizer; abducted and killed on 26 October 1989.
- Neville C. Nissanka – Gampaha lawyer, abducted and murdered by the PRRA on 3–4 October 1989.
- C.W.J.K. Weeraman – Killed along with his son by rebels in Weligama on 12 November 1988.
- Tudor A. Keerthinanda – Senior UNP lawyer; assassinated by JVP rebels on 24 October 1988.
- Amara Wellappili – Hambantota lawyer and human-rights activist; killed on 7 May 1988.
- Sarath Sepala Ratnayake – Lawyer and writer; killed on 22 January 1989 while contesting the 1989 elections.
- D.M.U. (Deshapriya) Bandara – Human-rights lawyer and acting magistrate; killed on 25 April 1989.
- Leslie Yatanwala – Leftist lawyer and trade-union activist; killed on 15 June 1989.
- Gamini Medagedara – Lawyer and English teacher; killed on 12 February 1988.
The remaining lawyers—Warnapala Ranatunga, A.W. Wettasinghe, A.W. Wickramasinghe—were also killed by security-force–linked groups.
Abductions and Threats Against Lawyers
During the same period:
- 12 lawyers were abducted and released after intervention by the Bar Association.
- 21 lawyers received death threats.
Notable victims of abductions or attacks included Dharmadasa Gomes, Batty Weerakoon, Ian Wickramanayake, A.B. Attanayake, and others such as Rohitha Bulathwewa, Parakrama Ranasinghe, Ranjith Panamulla, Jayathilaka, C. Kothalawala, Methwan Samarasinghe, Weerasuriya, Kalyananda Thiranagama, and Matara Wijewickrama.
Exile and International Advocacy
Advocate Prince Gunasekara, whose junior lawyers had been murdered, fled to Britain in 1989. He was a significant voice in exposing human-rights abuses internationally.
Legal Reforms and Support
To protect remaining lawyers, BASL began presenting all human-rights cases through its Legal Aid Centre. Senior judges—including G.P.S. Silva, Mark Fernando, A.R.B. Amarasinghe, and others—enabled thousands of detainees to petition the Supreme Court in their own language, easing access to justice.
(adopted from a Sinhala language FB post by writer Dharman Wickremaratne)