A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission
(Lanka-e-News- 17.Jan.2021, 9.AM) A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka found S. V. R. P. P. A. R. L. S. Alphonsu, known also as Ranjan Ramanayake, as guilty of having committed the offence of contempt of court and sentenced him to four years of rigorous imprisonment. The accused is presently a Member of Parliament, formerly a deputy minister, and is also a well-known actor.
The reason for the charge and the conviction was an interview that was broadcast in 2017 with some words to the effect that the “‘Majority in Sri Lanka are corrupted judges, corrupted lawyers. They work for money’”.
The Gampaha District SJB Member of Parliament Ranjan Ramanayake, who was sentenced to four-years Rigorous Imprisonment on Tuesday (January 12), will lose his Parliamentary seat, just four months after getting re-elected.
BASL unaware of recruiting lawyers to police service
BASL unaware of recruiting lawyers to police service
Written by
Share:
COLOMBO (News1st): The proposal to recruit 150 lawyers to the police service as chief inspectors must be examined carefully, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has said.
BASL president Kalinga Indatissa, a President’s Counsel, said the lawyers’ body had not been informed about the proposal, and insisted that all relevant parties must be consulted.
Indatissa, drawing evolution on criminal activities especially digital crimes had appreciated the justice minister for introducing new laws and making timely amendments to existing laws.
Lawyers for Human Rights and Development
It has been reported that the Ministry of Justice is moving to amend the Antiquities Ordinance, repealing the provisions therein preventing the courts from releasing persons charged with or accused of offences under the Antiquities Ordinance on bail. Under the proposed amendment, the Magistrate’s Court is to be given power to release such persons on bail. This proposal is made in the guise of a measure to reduce prison congestion.
Theft of antiquities, demolition of the Buddha statues and causing damage to archeological sites by treasure hunters and the willful destruction and damage of antiquities and archeological sites by interested parties have become serious problems that need to be urgently addressed with deterrent action.
New Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka Presents Credentials
(Based on information provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service)
The new Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, Mohan Pieris, presented his credentials to the Secretariat today.
Before his latest appointment, Mr. Pieris had an active legal practice in Sri Lanka and worked as a professor and lecturer at various universities since 2015, including the National Law University of Delhi, Rajiv Gandhi National Law University in Patiala and the National Law University of Advanced Legal Studies of Kochi.
Earlier in his career, he served as Chief Justice of Sri Lanka s Supreme Court from 2013 to 2015. He was appointed Chairman of the Seylan Bank PLC in 2011 and also served as a Senior Legal Advisor to the Cabinet Ministries in Sri Lanka during that time.