Shocking Judiciary shakeup

BY Ruwan Laknath Jayakody-2015-12-09

Colombo Additional Magistrate A. Nishantha Peiris, who was hearing several high profile cases including the murder of ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen, will be transferred with effect from 1 January 2016 to Matara as a District Judge.Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan A.B. Pilapitiya, who was similarly involved in hearing high profile cases, is also being transferred as a Colombo Additional District Judge.

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) confirmed that 117 judicial officers including District Judges, Additional District Judges, Acting District Judges, Acting Additional District Judges, Magistrates, Chief Magistrates, Additional Magistrates, Juvenile Court Magistrates, Acting Additional Magistrates and trainees from the Judges' Institute will be transferred in several higher capacities it is learnt.
Acting Secretary to the JSC, R.P.D.P.P. Ratnayake had on 5 November written to all judicial officers and Presidents of Labour Tribunals, informing them that appeals with regard to the annual transfers of judicial officers and Presidents of Labour Tribunals would be accepted up to 20 November 2015. President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) President's Counsel Geoffrey Alagaratnam said, the BASL had expressed concern not just about the transfer of Colombo Additional Magistrate Peiris, but about several other judicial officers as well.
We are going to discuss this serious issue with the authorities including the JSC to seek the rationale for these across-the-board arbitrary transfers, he added.