Supreme Court strikes off Attorney for tearing off pages from case record

Colombo, August 06 (Daily Mirror)- The Supreme Court today found an attorney guilty of deceit and malpractice and ordered his removal from office as an Attorney-at-Law, following an incident where he had torn two pages from a case record at the record room of the Court of Appeal in 2023.

Delivering the judgment, Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena observed that the actions of the respondent, Attorney-at-Law Dharmasiri Karunaratne, had tarnished the image of the legal profession in the country as a whole.

With Justices Kumudini Wickremasinghe and Achala Wengappuli agreeing, Chief Justice Surasena directed the Registrar of the Supreme Court to implement the order removing the respondent from the roll of Attorneys-at-Law with immediate effect.

It was further revealed that the respondent had furnished a false name to the record room of the Court of Appeal when applying for permission to peruse the said record.

The rule, consisting of several charges, was issued pursuant to a complaint lodged by the Registrar of the Court of Appeal. The respondent pleaded not guilty to the charges.

It was alleged that the respondent had committed a malpractice within the ambit of Section 42 (2) of the Judicature Act No. 2 of 1978 which renders him unfit to remain as an Attorney-at-Law and committed breach of rules 60 and 61 of the Supreme Court (Conduct of and Etiquette for Attorneys-at-Law).

“It must be borne in mind that this court admits and enrolls as Attorneys-at-Law in terms of Section 40 of the Judicature Act, only persons of good repute and of competent knowledge and ability. Such Attorneys-at-Law once enrolled cannot engage in any deceit, malpractice, crime or offence. It is a reasonable expectation of both the public and those involved in the administration of justice in the country,” the Chief Justice observed.

Shanil Kularatne, PC with Hashini Opatha, SSC appeared for the Attorney General, while Yalith Wijesurendra appeared for the respondent. Rohan Sahabandu, PC with Chathurika Elvitigala, Sachini Senanayake and Pubudu Weerasuriya appeared for the BASL.