Lankan lifesaver sues beach club in Australia

A surf lifesaver of Sri Lankan descent has taken action in the Australian Federal court against the Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club claiming the Sydney beach institution racially vilified him.

Indika Roshan Ratnayake told the court in Sydney that he had been the subject of "racial vilification, bullying, and vicarious liability" in his years as a member of the club, according to 'The Australian' newspaper.

The lawyer representing the Bondi club, Stephen McKenzie, raised the possibility of a cross claim against Ratnayake, over "a website that he authors containing what we will say is defamatory and racist material" against some members of the club.

Ratnayake said he did not have sufficient financial resources to hire a lawyer and was instead representing himself.

The presiding judge, Justice Griffiths, gave the parties four weeks to prepare documentation, including statements as to why the case should proceed or not in view of the apparent fact that it was outside the time limit for such applications.

Ratnayake will also be required to produce points of claim against the club.

Outside the court, Ratnayake claimed that he had been barred, unlike other members of the club, from gaining access to surf equipment that would enable him to improve his lifesaving skills, and claimed he had been victim of a "racial slur".

McKenzie declined to answer Ratnayake's allegations outside the court, saying that the case against the club had yet to be clearly made by Ratnayake.

The Bondi surf club's deputy president, Jacob Waks, said the club had called an urgent board meeting to discuss the matter on Tuesday tonight.

Waks said many directors had only found out about the court case at the weekend, and declined to comment further ahead of the board meeting, said 'The Australian'. (Emirates24/7)