News
NLC 2023: Chung invited in recognition of US support for BASL
By Shamindra Ferdinando
President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Saliya Pieris, PC, yesterday (10) said that US Ambassador Julie J. Chung had been invited as the Guest of Honour to a two-day National Law Conference (NLC) 2023 in recognition of the continuous support received by BASL from the US. Agency for International Development (USAID) over the years.
The President’s Counsel said so in response to The Island query why the BASL invited Ambassador Chung, amidst continuing controversy over her role in the protest campaign that led to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ouster and subsequent developments.
Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Law Conference, themed ‘Navigating through the crisis: The Role of the Law.’
The opening ceremony will be held at the Oak Room of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo, at 8.45 am tomorrow (12). Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, will be the Chief Guest, whereas the Ambassador attends the event as Guest of Honour.
The outgoing BASL Chief said that this was not the first time an Ambassador was invited for a BASL event.Pieris said that over the years the USAID supported several legal education programmes, conducted by the BASL, under the Effective & Efficient Justice (EEJ) Programme, and several other programmes.
“The EEJ programme supports several stakeholders in the justice sector. The programme is supervised by a Project Steering Committee, jointly headed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice, and the Country Director of USAID,” PC Pieris said.
Declaring that USAD assistance, during this time the country was experiencing severe economic crisis, ensured that critical legal education programmes were continued without interruptions. Therefore, the US Ambassador was invited to the National Law Conference, as a courtesy, in recognition of vital USAID support.
Responding to another query, Pieris said that Ambassador Chung would make a brief address.
Lawmakers Sarath Weerasekera and Wimal Weerawansa have questioned Ambassador Chung’s role. They have alleged that the US envoy discouraged ousted President from responding to the threat posed by the protest campaign, launched on March 31, 2022. Some have alleged that the protest campaign received foreign funding and the backing of the expatriate Sri Lankan community.
Asked whether the US provided sponsorship for the National Law Conference, the BASL chief said the annual event received USAID backing on several occasions, including this year. Pieris said that he would participate in several more events as the BASL President. He said so when The Island asked whether the National Law Conference would be his last public event.Several high profile speakers, including Supreme Court Judges, senior legal practitioners, an economist, bankers and businessmen, are scheduled to address the sessions, at the two-day conference.
Latest News
Food Policy and Security Committee recommends importation of rice to ensure an uninterrupted supply
The Food Policy and Security Committee has recommended the importation of rice in the near future to ensure an uninterrupted supply for consumers.
A notable increase in rice prices has been observed in the market, along with reports of shortages of certain rice varieties, despite the current harvest season.
Given this situation, discussions were held regarding the need for the Cabinet to prioritize the maintenance of sufficient stock, through rice imports.
The Committee, chaired by Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha and Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Vasantha Samarasinghe, convened for the fifth time at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday (01). The meeting aimed to formulate policy decisions to ensure food security.
During the discussions, it was revealed that due to excessive rainfall this year, crop damage occurred on two occasions, leading to a significant reduction in the expected harvest.
Furthermore, during the meeting it was stated that the improper use of rice for animal feed is another major reason contributing to the rice shortage. As a result, the Committee also focused on the importation of broken rice for animal feed and the use of alternative feeds to mitigate the impact on livestock production.
Accordingly, the Food Policy and Security Committee approved the formation of a Committee, led by the Director General of Agriculture, to oversee the importation of the required quantity of broken rice through proper mechanisms.
Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara, and other members of the Food Policy and Security Committee, including Ministry Secretaries, participated in the discussions.
The People of Myanmar are facing immense hardships caused by the devastating earthquake on 28th March and as reported by the international media reports the death toll is over 2,700. Furthermore, it has been reported that many people are missing while, a large number of individuals have been injured and are receiving treatment.
Considering the long – term close relationship between the two nations as two Buddhist states, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to provide,
• A sum of United States Dollars One Million
• Transportation for the dry rations collected by Buddhist clergy and other donors
• To have a group of medical officers and health staff on standby for immediate departure to Myanmar if necessary
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Cabinet appoints ministerial committee to submit report on sanctions imposed on 04 Sri Lankans by the United Kingdom
Attention of the Cabinet of Ministers have been drawn on the decisions taken by the United Kingdom to impose sanctions on four Sri Lankan individuals recently, and have decided to appoint a committee comprised of three ministers to submit a report with recommendations on the further measures to be taken after studying the facts in the regard and to empower the committee to obtain the service of any officer/intellect deemed to have subject expertise in the relevant field and considered essential.
The committee will comprise of :
– Vijitha Herath Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
– Attorney – at – Law Harshana Nanayakkara Minister of Justice and National Integrity
– Aruna Jayasekara Deputy Minister of Defence
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