In a letter to the Judicial Services Commission, Sri Lanka Bar Association says that media reports claim that at the meeting/webinar organised by JSC on 15th Monday that “there was a perception among the judicial officers that there was an effort to impress upon them to give court orders. to police request to curb protests.”
Other than three Supreme Court judges who members of the Judicial Services Commission of Sri Lanka, SC judge Mahinda Samayawardena had taken part in the discussion and provided inputs of laws realtered to public gatherings and protests.
Eelier on 15th Daily Mirror reported that Judges and lawyers express dismay over recent JSC meeting.
The letter sent by BASL further that:
“media reports claim that at the meeting/webinar
a. that the issue of trade union protests and the role of courts also came up for the discussion,
b. that judicial officers had been given instruction on the use of certain sections of the criminal procedure Code to control public gatherings on the account of pandemic situation i the country
c. that there was a perception among the judicial officers that there was an effort to impress upon them to give court orders to police request to curb protests.”
BASL says that it is deeply concerned at the contents of the reports which impact on the rule of law. independence of the judiciary and the public confidence in the administration of the justice.
The full text of the letter followers:
