An unprecedented constitutional crisis in Sri Lanka elicits a yawn
13 Jan, 2013
Lanka’s Parliament debated the impeachment of the country’s Chief Justice over two days last week.
In the course of these debates, and akin to the critical submissions by him during the equally chaotic and pivotal debate on the 18th Amendment in September 2010, Tamil National Alliance MP M.A. Sumanthiran delivered one of the most widely quoted speeches against the impeachment and in particular, the Icarean stance of the President and members of the ruling party that Parliament was above and beyond the purview of the Courts.
After announcing that it would be Sumanthiran’s turn to speak, and in the midst of mindless shouting and general chaos in the Chambers, presiding over one of the most important debates in Parliament ever, what does the Deputy Speaker do?
He yawns.
And in that precise moment, moments before Sumanthiran’s submission that was, as in 2010 – frequently and rudely interrupted – one saw the Rajapaksa regime’s real interest in, and capacity to engage with constitutional governance.
A video of the MP’s submission can be viewed below in the quality it was recorded and sent toGroundviews.
Dr. Bandaranayake remains the CJ- Lawyers Collective  SUNDAY, 13 JANUARY 2013
The Lawyers Collective in a statement categorically reiterated that Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake remains the Chief Justice, notwithstanding being unconstitutionally removed.
It also said that “We salute her for her courage, leadership and steadfastness in facing one of the most unreasonable and irrational inquiries ever faced by a person holding such an exalted office of the Head of Judiciary in a democratic country.” The full statement: "We salute the Chief Justice for her courage & She remains the Chief Justice" H.E President Mahinda Rajapaksa's purported letter of removal has been received by the Chief Justice. The Lawyers Collective states that this removal affects the very foundation of independence of the Judiciary, the Rule of Law and all basic norms of a working democracy. The politically motivated process of removal of the Chief Justice was nothing but a misuse and abuse of Constitutional provisions and Standing Orders. The Executive and Legislature deliberately ignored the constitutional interpretation by the Supreme Court and the decision of the Court of Appeal quashing the decision of the impeachment report by the Government Members of the Select Committee of Parliament. With this impeachment, the Government of Sri Lanka has demonstrated that it will not respect the Constitution and the Judiciary. The manner in which the impeachment process was conducted, in and outside parliament, by the government, the state media and the government-sponsored goons leaves the country with unforgettable memories of a horror period in our history. The conscience of the nation and the BAR is disturbed & is in anguish-and will never accept the illegal &unconstitutional removal of the Chief Justice. We have no doubt that in the annals of history, Chief Justice Bandaranayake would be remembered as a judge who did not succumb to pressure and who held the scale of justice without fear or favour. We salute her for her courage, leadership and steadfastness in facing one of the most unreasonable and irrational inquiries ever faced by a person holding such an exalted office of the Head of Judiciary in a democratic country. The Lawyers Collective categorically reiterates that Hon. Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake remains the Chief Justice, notwithstanding being unconstitutionally removed. |
