Delay in appointment of judges: Justice Minister declines to answer

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

Colombo, May 21 (Daily Mirror) - Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara declined to answer a question related to the delay in the appointment of eight judges to the country’s superior courts.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Ajith B.Perera raised the matter as a supplementary question during the session for oral answers . He raised his maiden question about the delay in the etablishment of an independent prosecution office. He said a year had passed since the setting up of a committee to work on this project which is accepted by the Government and the main Opposition.

"I am asking why there is such a delay on a matter that is even agreed upon by the Opposition. If you take such a long time over a simple matter to streamline the work of the Attorney General's Department, you will take years on end to perform a task like the introduction of a new Constitution, " he said.

The Minister shot back saying though the MP called it a simple task, it was not simple at all. He said the committee appointed in this regard was pressing ahead with the work, pending observations by the Sri Lanka Bar Association and the Law Commission.

"Once that is done, we will establish it. We want to do a proper job. That is why it is time consuming, " the Minister said.

In his supplementary question , Mr. Perera, in an obvious reference to the Daily Mirror news story on the delay in the appointment of judges, asked the Minister to intervene in the resolving the issue. He said the Constitutional Council could not move ahead without the President sending the list of nominees.

However, the Minister declined to answer the question saying it was a supplementary matter that fell outside the scope of the subject highlighted in the main question placed on the Order Paper. He even cited the relevent Standing Order to drive home his point.