BASL to address legal community crisis after Akuregoda shooting, calls emergency meeting

14 February 2026 10:03 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 12 Bookmark

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Colombo, February 14 (Daily Mirror) - The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has called an emergency general meeting of all its members tomorrow (15), the first such gathering in 14 years, in response to growing concern within the legal community over security and the rule of law.

President of the Association, Rajeev Amarasuriya, announced the meeting during a press conference today (14), explaining that it has been scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at the Association’s headquarters.

The unprecedented meeting follows the tragic shooting and killing of an Attorney‑at‑Law and his wife on (13) at Akuregoda by unidentified gunmen — an incident that has shocked lawyers nationwide.

At today’s briefing, Amarasuriya reiterated the Bar Association’s strong condemnation of the attack and said the emergency session will allow members to discuss the implications for legal professionals, public safety, and steps the Association may take to address such violent incidents in the future.

The move reflects heightened concern among Sri Lanka’s legal fraternity over the safety of lawyers and the protection of justice‑related institutions.

Comments - 12

Kandaih Balendran Saturday, 14 February 2026 10:53 AM

If they start shooting rotten lawyers, very few would be left.

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Rakitha W Saturday, 14 February 2026 11:42 AM

But double-crossing friends for whatever gains can backfire. BASL should talk about getting their members to adhere to doing the job ethically. Whoever you represent won't be an issue if you keep your act professional throughout the process. Sidestepping can detonate mines.

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Ram P Saturday, 14 February 2026 11:26 AM

The meeting due to start at 3.00pm will go on for a few days if lawyers are allowed a free hand to voice their views on the issue. Since they are not paid on this occasion the meeting may end about midnight the same day

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Jaffna Logic Saturday, 14 February 2026 12:28 PM

Half the Lawyers are not ethically fit enough to be Lawyers . The entrance to Law College must also satisfy the condition from a " good family background ". Bluntly speaking , it must resort to the tradition of being a middle class profession, there is no other way out if we want proper people to be our Lawyers. And for the security , there must be a special mobile unit setup to provide security to all Lawyers if they request for protection.

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Observer Saturday, 14 February 2026 02:29 PM

Lust one person out of the 22M citizens is shot, and out of 22500 lawyers in Sri Lanka, there is such an outcry by BASL, it shows that lawyers have woken up only when they are bitten. Sri Lanka recorded 556 total murders in 2024, with 300 murders reported in just the first seven months of 2025 and lawyers happy that they have more business but one of their kind is killed, and what a fuss.

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roobarbie Saturday, 14 February 2026 02:53 PM

No one has any sympathy for lawyers as a profession, especially those that go to the courts and lie and mislead the judhes to save their clients from their due punishments. Here a lawyer that is defending an arch criminal, allegedly dobule crossing him by transferring confidential information to another enemy of the defendent. Then, where is the crafty lawyer that stated ina court that Rnail W has three blocked arteries to get him bail, whrereas this critically ill politcian patient is fully active and flying off to world destinations laughing all the way at the stupid and naive judges that bailed him. No, we do not have any respect or sympathy for crooked lawyers.

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Suman Udage Saturday, 14 February 2026 03:20 PM

The adherence to the principle of Law of Ethics in practice must be the cornerstone for the law profession, which is apparently failed in recent times as we have witnessed in the recent past and in this sadly in this incident.

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Chandrakumar Theivendran Saturday, 14 February 2026 03:34 PM

Well as usual DM has Made it political. The BASL had several an emergency meetings in the past .one should know the back ground of these personalities without making it political and linking it to current conflicts between these underworld gangs . And BASL thinks they are above the law and it’s no secret how the members have been earning in the pretext of “ no one is guilty unless proven “ .

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Karalasingam Sivalingam Saturday, 14 February 2026 08:45 PM

Some years ago Supreme Court judge Mr. Pillapitiya and his police bodyguard were killed on returning to the judges home, what was the action taken by the bar association? No one can stop such killings, instead, I appeal to the bar association to suggest ways and means to prevent such killings. Security forces cannot provide security to all individuals. In comparison to western countries, mass shooting has not taken place in Sri Lanka.

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WE DO HAVE SOME EXCEDLLENT HONEST LAWYERS, BUT DEFINITELY NOT ALL. Saturday, 14 February 2026 10:37 PM

NO MEETING WERE HEALD WHEN ORDINARY INNOCENT PEOPLE WERE BEEN CARRIED AWAY IN WHITE VANS ANBD NEVER SEEN OR HEAR FROM!!. MOTOR BIKE AND CARS GOING AROUND SHOOTING PEOPLE FOR DECADES, NOTHING NEW. HAS TO BE A REASON AS TO WHY THIS LAWYER WA=AND HIS WIFE WERE SHOT AND KILLED, ALWAYS A REASON FOR ANY MURDER. TAKE FOR INSTANCE THE LAWYER REPRESENTED A CLIENT, ENDED UP TURING TO BE A POLICE INFORMANT!!.

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Jude Sunday, 15 February 2026 10:00 AM

BASL the worst professional association that is corrupted to the core.

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Karalasingam Sivalingam Sunday, 15 February 2026 10:12 AM

Gun culture cannot be curbed. It has become a way of life in Sri Lanka. Every one comdems this act, nothing more could be done to stop gun culture.

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