Bar surprised over HC Judge’s charge

30 November 2015 06:13 pm

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) the pioneering body comprising all lawyers in the country expressed its surprise over the incident where the Galle High Court Judge had filed a case against former Solicitor General and President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsecularatne after his phone started ringing inside the court house.

Bar head, Geoffrey Alegaratnam PC told the Daily Mirror, that it was unusual and surprising the way how the senior criminal lawyer had been charged. “It is a very surprising order on the part of the High Court judge. We are considering this incident in details and contemplating on the incident,” Mr Alegaratnam the head of the unofficial bar said.

“We have a certain courtesy between the bar and the judicial officers. This is not a deliberate act on the part of Mr. Arsacularatne and he had not done it intentionally to insult court,” the head of the Bar stated. He said it was a mistake and had happened accidentally.

“The principles of justice should be looked at in a humane manner,”

However Mr. Alegaratnam said it had happened as a result of a judicial order and the Bar was considering about the incident in detail.

Meanwhile senior criminal lawyer Mr. Arsecularatne said he did not plead guilty to the charge and he had informed the BASL, the recognized professional body for lawyers about the incident.

“I did not do it deliberately and as soon as I realized that it was my phone I switched it off,” Mr. Arsecularatne said. He said that similar incidents take place accidentally even in the Supreme Court where the chief Justice presides over and also in the Appeal Court but Justices would treat such incident in a humane manner. (Susitha R. Fernando)