The Government has not extended the mandate given to the Advisory Council headed by Sir Desmond de Silva which was appointed to give legal advice to the Presidential head by former judge Maxwell Paranagama.
Sir Desmond de Silva said that the appointment of the Advisory Council of international lawyers was only until the 15th August and the term has not been extended.
“All the required legal advice having been given to the Paranagama Commission by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC (UK) , Professor David M Crane ( USA) and a host of university professors specialising in the law of armed conflict , and myself, that Advisory Council is no longer in existence,” Sir Desmond de Silva said.
He noted that the Paranagama Commission, in addition , had the advantage of having the advice of one of the most distinguished Generals from the British Army as to the events that unfolded at the end of the war in May 2009.
Sir Desmond de Silva said that it is hard to see any other Commission that has had such a wealth of advice to assist it on in coming to its conclusions.
Earlier some concerns had been raised over the credibility of the Advisory Council which was appointed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and so the new Government was urged not to extend the mandate of the Council. (Colombo Gazette)