Judges claim impeachment against natural justice

Tuesday, 04 December 2012 09:10

Issuing a joint statement, the judicial officers including High Court Judges, District judges, Magistrates and Presidents of Labour Tribunals who gathered at the Hulftsdorp in Colombo yesterday complained that the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake was a blatant violation of natural justice.
The judges who met at the Supreme Court complex yesterday afternoon said they were concerned about the ongoing impeachment procedure and resolved that all defamatory media statements against the Chief Justice and the judiciary should be stopped.
“Such statements affect not only the Chief Justice personally but the entire judiciary,” the joint statement said.
We request those concerned to consider the grave damage that would be caused to the rule of law in the country due to such statements. The judges also proposed that the impeachment against the Chief Justice should be transparent and conducted impartially.
They further said that the parties who brought the impeachment allegations against the CJ, were themselves conducting the inquiry and thus it was a blatant violation of natural justice. We reiterate that nowhere in the world would those who make allegations hear their own case.
The judges also stated that they had a question on the example displayed to the world with regard to the removal of the Chief Justice of this country.
Meanwhile the lawyers who appear on behalf of the CJ before the impeachment told the Daily Mirror that she would appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) today. The Chief Justice’s instructing attorney K. Neelakandan told that CJ Bandaranayake would appear before the PSC despite seeking more time.
In the meantime Sadaranaya Sandahawu Jathika Vyaparaya (National Movement for Just Society) led by Ven. Madhuluwawe Sobitha Thera together with representatives of more than 40 trade unions and civil rights group are to conduct a Sathyagraha campaign in front of the Supreme Court today December 4 morning.
“We invite all individuals despite their political, religious or ethnic differences to come to the Hulftsdorp to join the peaceful protest in support of the Chief Justice and seek justice for her,” Ven. Sobitha Thera said. (Susitha R. Fernando)

Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

Comments

-8+5 # jacoob 2012-12-04 11:57

The learnt Modayaas,

Do not you know that " what goes around will come around" .. just flip few pages of your deeds in the past .. you will realise that and alos thet yiu have already miss the bus ( That was why one of you tokk train and got robbed also )

-5+46 # Saliya Wickremasuriy 2012-12-04 12:17

Well done Your Honorable Judges!

-0+23 # Justin Keppetiyagama 2012-12-04 13:12

Why can't these lawyers bring FR cases against the MPs and Ministers who have not declared their assets

-3+10 # Ryan 2012-12-04 16:34

because then it will backfire on them

-3+12 # beeta akka 2012-12-04 13:26

Cant trust these lawyer fellows.Now okay. Tomorrow will sing diffrent tune.

-26+6 # Realist 2012-12-04 13:37

This meeting was organised by JSC on the instructions of CJ. Most probably the signatures were obtained on the same coercive manner that was used by JRJ to obtain undated letters of resignation. It is clear CJ has decended to the level of a politician to avoid being found guilty for her misdeeds.

Checks and balances requires that supreme court should scrutinise laws for consistency with constitution and disciplinary control of higher courts should reside with parliament.

It is clear judiciary thinks that they are somehow 'more equal' than the rest infront of law.

-3+20 # Sumanasiri 2012-12-04 14:12

Speak up, brave judges!

-1+21 # Yehiya 2012-12-04 14:52

Most of media due to fear blacklist the news. Thanks to Daillymirror.

-2+5 # Learn andLession 2012-12-04 15:02

Injustice judgement works now. its a lession by the God

-1+8 # Gamani 2012-12-04 16:02

Justice must not only be done but seen to be done and on what is happening today it does not appear to be done nor seen to be done.The present Govt and the cronies to take not

-0+10 # FRANNY 2012-12-04 16:11

Well said; Laws should be upheld and Honoured

-3+7 # A Lawyer 2012-12-04 16:12

We see Your Honours' impartiality in open courts. We see the same here too. Thank you very much Your Honours. Please keep it up and stand by her ladyship the Chief Justice. Please protect her from evil. please protect her from uneducated PSC members such as Wimal Weerawansa who is also a partner of crimes in 89.

-1+12 # A Lawyer 2012-12-04 16:13

We must commit suicide being the people who are responsible for what and where MR today?

-10+3 # Kumar 2012-12-04 16:18

Why dont they practice what they preach.Although there are pluses ans minus on both sides all have forgotten that the sovereignty is in the people.There are examples of gross violation of innocent peoples rights , natural justice and the rule of law in thw primary courts to prop up corrupt officials and pockets of attorneys. Judiciary waves the magic wand of contempt to shut peoples mouth but are violating the same rule when one of their nembers are impeached.

-13+3 # Kiwi 2012-12-04 17:39

Impeach the entire judiciary and send all the judges home and close down the courts!!

-0+1 # somapala 2012-12-05 00:50

Kiwi,
-- and appoint lawyer Namal or Most Dishonorable Mervyn Silva as Chief Justice.

-0+1 # mahen.siriwardena 2012-12-05 03:33

Ven.Maduluwawe Sobitha thero is the rising figure as a true opposition leader. ?
How far he could galvanise the otherwise, sleeping public and the masses is yet to be seen?

-0+1 # Robert 2012-12-05 09:59

Bloody corrupted politicians wants to take revenge aginst the
CJ and they are doing this type of unwanted things like inter-
fering in the private life of the CJ. These bloody buggers
compaint that the CJ has a big bank balance and that is her
personal matter why should the bloody politicians worry about
that how about the corrupted politicians they earned by
illegal way in millions and dump in the foreign banks, who is
going to ask about this and specially the ministers and deputy
minister. The main cause of this matter is that bloody MR
wanted to put his man as the CJ and now chasing behind
this woman, damn shame, this bugger is not suitable to be a
president of this country for ever, a man of bad omen and
that is why this country is suffering today. Let the bugger go
to hell. God save this country.

-1+1 # polkudu chandrika 2012-12-05 10:16

Field day for the black-suited vultures of Hulftsdorph.

-0+1 # sbd 2012-12-05 10:27

In this case the govt. is not only the the prosecuter, and judge but also are making their own unwritten rules to suite them in the name of parliamentary privileges!.
This never was the wish of the majority of people in Sri Lanka.Government has completely lost its commonsense!

-0+0 # Minister 2012-12-05 13:18

Well said Robert. But you have forgotten about Mr. "Raththaran"

-2+0 # anura 2012-12-05 13:31

What is this big agitation from the black coated men from Hulsdorf. Sri Lanka has to be run according to the existing constitution and lawyers can not take the law into theit hands bypassing the rules set by the srilankan constitution. Don't these black coated men know atleast that much about the law.

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