Measures taken to uphold independence of judiciary: SL

Responding to former UN Special Rapporteur Mónica Pinto’s report on the country, Sri Lanka on Monday said it has taken a number of important steps to uphold the independence of the judiciary and lawyers.

Sri Lanka's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to Geneva Ravinatha P. Aryasinha told the UN Human Rights Council’s 35th Regular Session that these positive measures were taken after the Presidential Election of January 2015.

Former UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Mónica Pinto’s report, which highly criticized the judiciary of Sri Lanka, was presented to the council by her successor Diego García-Sayán.

Ambassador Aryasinha said the Sri Lankan Parliament enacted the 19th Amendment to the Constitution introducing constitutional safeguards to uphold the independence of the judiciary and the bar.

“The most significant among these are: safeguards to the process of appointment of senior judges; appointment of the Attorney-General, the Attorney-General’s Department, and appointment of the members of the Judicial Services Commission,” he said.