CJ Impeachment: Vijitha Herath Replies To Attorney General’s Petition
August 21, 2013
The lawyers for the 12th Respondent, a members of the Select Committee of Parliament appointed with regard to the charges against the Chief Justice, the Hon. Vijitha Herath, have filed their written submissions opposing the Attorney General’s appeal relating to the Court of Appeal judgement which ordered the quashing of the findings of the Parliamentary Select Committee relating to the allegations against the Chief Justice, Dr.Shirani Bandaranayke. We give below the full text of the lawyers reply.
Vijitha Herath
TO: HIS LORDSHIP THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND OTHER LORDSHIPS OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS ON BEHALF OF THE 12THRESPONDENT-RESPONDENT ON MAIN ARGUMENTS
1. INTRODUCTION:
a) The Attorney General [“AG”] of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has in the instant case moved Your Lordships’ Appellate Jurisdiction in an extraordinary manner, titling himself as “PARTY NOTICED (AMICUS CURIA)-APPELLANT” against the Judgment of the Court of Appeal setting aside the purported findings of 07 Government MPs out of an 11 Member Parliamentary Select Committee.
A Few Thoughts For Navi Pillay
Kath Noble
As the Commonwealth Summit draws closer, the world is going to turn its attention to the situation in Sri Lanka. It is a major international event, and people will want to know what is happening in the host country. WhenMahinda Rajapaksa stands up to welcome his fellow heads of government, talking about their shared values and vision, he will give them the perfect opportunity to ask questions – principally, do we really have anything in common with this administration?
Some campaigners have already decided on the answer. They want a boycott, and in the next few months they will be working hard to persuade key individuals – in particular David Cameron and Manmohan Singh – to stay away.
Whether or not they succeed is not very important. What matters is the issues that they raise in the process.
Navi Pillay’s visit will set the tone. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who is due to arrive in Colombo this weekend, has had plenty to say about Sri Lanka since she was appointed back in 2008. But this is her first trip to the island. She will spend a week here, meeting various officials, politicians and activists, and her report will form the basis of the next round of discussions in Geneva, as well as informing the positions of the Secretary General and member states. It is also to her opinion that the international media will turn for an assessment of how the Government should be treated – like a naughty child or like an armed and dangerous criminal.
And she has a decision to make. Read More
