International Bar concerned over Justice Shirani Thilakawardene chairing impeachment petition

Tuesday, 02 April 2013 

The Human Rights Institute of International Bar Association (IBAHRI) says it is seriously concerned about justice Shirani Thilakawrdene who was the key witness against Chief Justice Shirani Banadaranayake charing the 10-member bench that hears the petition about the legality of impeachment.

The rapporteur of IBAHRI team that investigated the impeachment process Sadakat Kadri has told BBC Sandeshaya that the international body representing lawyers and judges worldwide is also concerned whether the hearing will be postponed until next year to pave the way for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to appoint 3-4 new judges and then overrule the Appeal Court decision.

The Appeal Court earlier ruled that the impeachment process was illegal according to Sri Lanka’s constitution.

The 10-member bench chaired by Justice Thilakawardene, who testified against Shirani Bandaranayake at the Parliamentary Select Committee ( PSC), has postponed the hearing until 11th June but IBAHRI says the hearing may again be postponed until the end of this year or early next year until the President appoints new judges to the Supreme Court.

In his interview with BBC Sandeshaya, Barrister Sadakat Kadri has described Mohan Peiris as Sri Lanka’s “ad-hoc Chief Justice.”

Ruling that the whole impeachment process was “flawed from the beginning” the IBAHRI team that has investigated the impeachment in a report says that Sri Lanka is facing a constitutional crisis as a result of the “illegal” removal of country’s Chief Justice.

Recommending the reinstatement of the Chief Justice and the repeal of 18 th amendment to the constitution, IBAHRI also urges the Commonwealth to study their report before holding the CHOGM in Sri Lanka later this year.