CJ had to withdraw from Greek bonds case
TUESDAY, 26 MARCH 2013 
The Chief Justice had to withdraw from hearing of the case regarding inflicting losses to the government due to investments in Greek Government Bonds when defense councilor objected to him being part of the panel of judges hearing the case. Objections were raised as Mr. Mohan Peiris had been a legal adviser to the Central Bank. Several, including the Governor of Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal, have been named as respondents of the case.
The hearing participated by Judges Mohan Peiris, Sathya Hettige and Nimal Gamini Amaratunga held yesterday and filed by Parliamentarian Sujeewa Serasinghe will be heard again on 25th May.
The government has incurred a loss of about 22 million Euros valued at more than Rs 3.4 billion due to investing in Greek Government Bonds.
Upul follows Wijedasa’s path
Monday, 25 March 2013
The new head of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), Attorney Upul Jayasuriya after showing great courage and a conviction to fight against lawlessness has now changed his stance and is seen to be following the path of his predecessor, Wijedasa Rajapakshe, sources from the BASL said.
When a majority of the BASL members have said that the new President of the Association should assume office before the 43rd Chief Justice, Jayasuriya had said that such a move would create an unwanted conflict with the government. Jayasuriya’s policy is to try and resolve all matters through discussion with the government without going in for a confrontation.
The senior lawyer who spoke to us said that although Jayasuriya had participated at the meeting of Commonwealth lawyers held in London, he had not spoke a word against the government.
Jayasuriya had also not spoken in support by the Australian QC Geoffrey Robertson who had compiled a critical report on the impeachment of the Chief Justice where he had called on countries not to issue visas to the 117 members of parliament who had signed the impeachment papers and to impose a travel ban on the seven government members in the parliamentary select committee (PSC) that probed the impeachment charges.
The senior lawyer told us that the Association did not have a problem in the silence maintained by Jayasuriya at the Commonwealth lawyers’ meeting, but that the BASL had a problem with the disgraceful manner in which he had begged the BBC Sandeshaya producers not to broadcast the interview given by him to them.
The senior lawyer said that if Jayasuriya is going to follow such a backboneless policy, there were doubts about the kind of action he would take during his period as the head of BASL.
