The Conflict Of Interest And What The CJ Has Not Answered
6 Responses to The Conflict Of Interest ..
By C. A. Chandraprema -
As the impeachment drama grinds to a close, we see that the chief justice of this country is to be impeached largely on conflict of interest related issues. Of the three charges that the CJ has been found guilty of by the Parliamentary Select Committeee, two pertain to a conflict of interest. The conflict of interest has never been an issue that has been widely discussed in this country. As such there are virtually no local precedents that we can draw on. The first charge against the CJ was that using a special power of attorney, she purchased in the names of her sister and brother in law, a flat at Trillium Residencies and then took over a case involving Trillium Residencies that was being heard by a different bench and proceeded to hear the case. Another charge (No:5) on which the CJ has been found guilty is that she has continued to remain CJ and Chairperson of the Judicial Services Commission in a situation where her husband Pradeep Kariyawasam is a suspect in a case before a magistrate. In her official capacity, the CJ has the power to get down all the documents of the magistrate’s court trying her husband and she also wields powers of transfer, promotion, dismissal and disciplinary control over the magistrate trying her husband. Read More
4:25 am