Pressure On Justice Sriskandarajah’s Family To Change Funeral Arrangements

January 26, 2014

The funeral of Justice Sriskandarajah is scheduled for this morning at the General Cemetery, Borella,  where  several speakers including the Bar Association President and the acting President of Court of Appeal had been requested by the family to deliver funeral orations.  President Rajapaksa did not appoint Justice Sriskandarajah to the Supreme Court on several occasions,  though he was the President of the Court of Appeal. Justice Sriskandarajah presided over the Court of Appeal bench which set aside the impeachment findings of the Parliamentary Select Committee recommending the removal of the 43rd Chief Justice, Shirani Bandaranayaka. The Bar Council of the Bar Association, the representative body of bar, expressed their sorrow at today’s Council meeting over the death of Justice Sriskandarajah.

Justice Sriskandarajah

Despite the previous intimations, the family of the late Justice Sriskandarajah has now indicated to the acting President of the Court of Appeal and the President of the Bar Association that their family is under threat over possible criticism of the government during funeral orations, and that therefore they do not wish to have any orations at the funeral. The seniors lawyers who were contacted by Colombo Telegraph expressed their anger, stating that while Justice Sriskandarajah was alive, he was humiliated and threatened, and that even after his death, the regime continues with the harassment of this distinguished judge because of the independence and impartiality he displayed in the impeachment proceedings.