Outrage As President Insists No Foreign Judges

by Easwaran Rutnam-Sunday, March 27, 2016

UNHRC sessions in progress

A public statement made last weekend by President Maithripala Sirisena that he will not agree to inviting foreign judges to get involved in the accountability process related to the war, has drawn sharp criticism.

The criticism stems from the fact that the need to have foreign judges is part of the

Resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) last year, which was co-sponsored by Sri Lanka.

Speaking at the Law Conference in Wadduwa last weekend, the President said that he has faith in the local judiciary and he feels all that needs to be done is to strengthen the judiciary and ensure it is independent.

International human rights groups have been calling on Sri Lanka to invite foreign judges to ensure the domestic process to investigate human rights abuses related to the war are credible.

“If there is a need to conduct a judicial process after investigating human rights abuses, I will not agree to invite foreign judges to come to Sri Lanka and be involved in that process,” he said.

The President had made a similar comment a few weeks ago to the international media and that created a storm with human rights groups insisting that he reconsider his stand.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), which pushed for the Resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC and backed international participation in the local judicial process, reiterated the need to have foreign judges.

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