News
AG’s Dept. lawyers rebut Judicial Services Association stand on new HC judge
The Legal Officers’ Association of the Attorney General’s Department, on Thursday (28) noted with concern a letter sent by the Judicial Service Association (JSA) of Sri Lanka, addressed to the President, opposing the appointment of a Senior State Counsel of the Attorney General’s Department, Nayani Kasturiratne, as a High Court judge on the basis that the officer was a junior officer.
“The facts stated in the aforesaid letter are factually incorrect. It is a matter of regret that the JSA should make representations that do not accurately represent all material facts when stating that the officer from the Attorney General’s Department is “a far junior
officer compared to the judicial officers who are next in line in judicial seniority”. It has long been the tradition that officers of the Attorney General’s Department have enriched the judiciary, at various levels, and there are more appointments to be made to the judiciary in the near future,” the Legal Officers’ Association said in a statement.
Given below is the statement:
“Four new High Court judges were appointed recently. Among those appointed was a former Senior State Counsel, having 16 years of experience in the Attorney General’s Department, who had been nominated by the Attorney General for this judicial position.
“The Legal Officers’ Association expresses its appreciation that one of its officers has been recognized for this judicial office. Officers of the Attorney General’s Department have wide experience in both the civil and criminal courts as well as in original and appellate courts. They are exposed to high profile litigation and are often opposed to the best in the profession.
They are in court on a daily basis and carry a large volume of work often appearing in multiple cases on a single day. These officers also perform other duties such as providing advice to government departments and corporations and appear in commercial arbitrations, international arbitrations and before various other tribunals and participate in international conferences and workshops. They are also subject to continuous training and most officers at the rank of Senior State Counsel and above hold Masters Degrees in Law.
“In this background the Legal Officers’ Association notes with concern that it was reported that the Judicial Service Association (JSA) of Sri Lanka had addressed a letter to His Excellency the President opposing the appointment of the aforesaid Senior State Counsel as High Court judge on the basis that the officer was a junior officer. This position is factually inaccurate. The Officer nominated by the Attorney General had 16 years of service in the department and had a vast experience supervising officers in the circuits as well as in Colombo.
In comparison, one of the officers from the career judiciary who was appointed as a judge of the High Court last week also had 16 years of experience in the judiciary and had only a few more months’ experience in judicial service than the nominee of the Attorney General. It is a matter of regret that the JSA should make representations that do not accurately represent all material facts when stating that the officer from the Attorney General’s Department is “a far junior officer compared to the judicial officers who are next in line in judicial seniority”. It has long been the tradition that officers of the Attorney General’s Department have enriched the judiciary at various levels. It is thus that the judiciary is composed of judges with a wide and varied experience drawn from the official bar, the un-official bar and the career judiciary. It would be inimical to the interests of having a competent judiciary with a wide range of experience to give to one source of judicial appointments priority over another.
The Legal Officers’ Association of the Attorney General’s Department resolves that these concerns be communicated to his Excellency the President, His Lordship the Chief Justice and the Judicial Service Commission, for consideration in the making of future judicial appointments.”
… reminds AKD led over 560 protests during Yahapalanaya
Former Yahapalana Minister and United Republican Front (URF) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka yesterday (19) alleged that the JVP, which carried out over 560 protests during the 2015-2019 period, was now bent on preventing the Opposition from exercising its democratic right to protest.
Recalling the declaration made by the JVP at the height of the violent protest campaign in July 2022 that it would set the Parliament ablaze, the former parliamentarian lashed out at the JVP-led administration for using the police excessively to curb political opposition. Ranawaka said this while addressing the media at the former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Flower Road Office .
Commenting on the protest campaign launched by the Maha Sangha, demanding presidential pardon for General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Ven. Galagotaatte Gnanasara, the ex-Colombo District lawmaker alleged that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake used a combination of police, investigative units and JVP cadres to break up the monks’ protest. The government went to the extent of compelling the JVP/NPP-run Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to deprive the peaceful protesters of basic toilet facilities, he alleged.
The government’s actions proved that only those with prior approval from JVP Pelawatte headquarters could launch protests in Colombo, its suburbs or in the provinces. The police have become a political tool in the hands of the JVP, the ex-Minister said. (SF)
By SK Samaranayake
Six people were killed and seven others injured when a speeding bulker lorry carrying cement and concrete ploughed into several vehicles and a shop on the Kandy-Jaffna A9 road at Kurugoda, Akurana, yesterday (19).
Four of the victims, two women and two men, died on the spot in the accident which occurred around 10.30 am, according to Alawathugoda Police.
Police said the bulker, travelling at high speed from the Matale direction, collided with three three-wheelers, two motorcycles and two lorries before veering off the road and crashing into a commercial establishment.
Five of the injured were rushed to the National Hospital of Kandy, where hospital sources said two remained in critical condition.
The bodies of the four victims were placed at the Akurana Hospital, where two others, who suffered minor injuries, were also receiving treatment.
The driver of the bulker was arrested by the Alawathugoda Police Traffic Division and is to be produced before court.
Investigations are being conducted under the supervision of Central Province Senior DIG Lalith Pathinayake.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
owledging that there had been an administrative lapse on the part of the President’s Office in 2019 when Maithripala Sirisena granted presidential pardon to Ven. Gnanasara Thera, Convener of Janathawadi Joint Opposition Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday (19) urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to rectify whatever those shortcomings and release the General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena.
Addressing the media at the former President Ranil Wickrekmesinghe’s Flower Road Office, Prof. Peiris emphasized that it was not fair to hold Ven. Gnanasara accountable for lapse or technical fault of others at the Presidential Secretariat during President Sirisena’s tenure.
Prof. Peiris was flanked by UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena and United Republican Front (URF) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka.
The fresh appeal was made on behalf of Ven. Gnanasara in the wake of President Dissanayake and JVP heavyweight Anura Kumara Dissanayake ruling out fresh presidential pardon for the monk. Minister Lal Kantha declared that the government couldn’t under any circumstances meet the continuing monks’ protest demanding Ven. Gnanasara’s release. President Dissanayake dismissed repeated appeals for Ven. Gnanasara’s release when he addressed the NPP really in Badulla.
Sirisena granted presidential pardon in May 2019 even before he completed a year of his six-year term of rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court during proceedings of the media personality Prageeth Ekneligoda’s 2010 January disappearance in the Homagama Magistrate’s court.
At the onset of the regular weekly briefing, Prof. Peiris said that he would report to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) today (20) morning as requested by the commission. “The CIABOC wanted to record my statement regarding a meeting I chaired at the ministry after the conclusion of the war in 2009 pertaining to an ongoing investigation.”
Commenting further on the imprisonment of Ven. Gnanasara, the former parliamentarian said that President Sirisena intervened following a spate of requests made on behalf of BBS General Secretary by the Mahanayakes, Anunayakes and other Maha Sangha.
The Supreme Court on 10 September, 2026 rescinded the presidential pardon granted in late May 2019.
Heavy showers about 100 mm are likely at some places in the Northern, North-central, Central, Eastern, North-western and Uva provinces
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Ranawaka accuses govt. of using JVP cadres and police to suppress political opponents
Six killed as speeding bulker crashes into vehicles, shop in Akurana
Prof. Peiris, summoned by CIABOC, appeals for Ven. Gnanasara’s release
Tusker Agbo found safe and in good health
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