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TISL calls upon public authorities to commit towards more transparency
The Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) on Wednesday called upon public authorities to commit towards more transparency on International Right to Know Day.
A TISL statement said: Former American President Abraham Lincoln once said “Let the people know the facts, and the country will be safe”. The statement denotes that a country’s well-being is likely to depend on how accessible its information is. International Right to Know Day was initiated to create an international discourse on access to information and to make it a part of the general civic consciousness. Later, the United Nations declared September 28 as the International Day for Universal Access to Information.
Celebrating International Right to Know Day, as Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) also marks its 20th year of contributing to the collective effort to fight corruption in Sri Lanka, is especially significant. TISL has continued to walk with citizens in their RTI journey, striving to ensure and protect the right to information, since its operationalization in Sri Lanka.
The right to information is the strongest available tool in the fight against corruption, due to the obligation it places upon public authorities to be accountable and responsive to citizens through a mandatory legal mechanism. As such, International Right to Know Day is not a day merely for celebration, but a moment to create wider and deeper knowledge on the right, and for public authorities to reflect on whether they are truly serving this sovereign right of the citizens.
Countries around the world have adopted this right through legal provisions, placing obligations upon public authorities to various extents. In Sri Lanka, the term ‘public authorities’ includes – government ministries, government departments, public corporations, local authorities, any institutions created by a Provincial Council, non-governmental organizations, institutes of higher education, private educational institutes and all courts, tribunals and institutions created to serve justice. The Right to Information Act places an obligation on these authorities to provide information to citizens efficiently and transparently. Adhering to the provisions of the Act can promote transparency and accountability of these institutions and empower citizens to exercise their democratic rights.
Further, providing information before it is requested, i.e. proactive disclosure, is one of the foremost aspects of open government and of the right to information. The Right to Information Act mandates public authorities to disclose such information, imposing a duty on each public authority to publicly disclose budgetary information, procurement details, project reports and information on significant decisions and acts via websites or other means. Sri Lanka continues to fall far short of this standard of transparency and accountability.
The recent spate of citizen agitation in Sri Lanka was a collective response to the culture of opacity and corruption within State institutions and government. This has led to a heightened awareness and keen interest among the populace regarding key elements of anti-corruption including the importance of information in the fight against corruption, of how corruption flourishes in conditions of secrecy, of publicizing the asset declarations of public representatives, etc. as never seen before. As a consequence, there is now heightened pressure upon the public service and on politicians to demonstrate the practice of accountable governance.
Our country is at a critical juncture both economically and socially. It is irrefutable that this is the result of corruption. To effectively overcome this crisis, it is vital that the people must be empowered with information by public authorities. Therefore, it is essential for public authorities to take steps to be efficient, open and proactive in disclosing information. On this International Right to Know Day, TISL calls upon public authorities to look upon the right to information positively and commit to continuous improvement towards more openness. TISL’s wish for International Right to Know Day is to see citizens be part of a culture that is able to seek, receive and use information without fear or hesitation.
It has been reported quoting family sources that veteran singer Mariazelle Goonetilleke has passed away this morning (10) at the age of 68
She had been receiving treatment at the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital.
The wife of retired Major General Suresh Sallay has lodged a further complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), alleging that her husband’s fundamental rights continue to be violated as Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers prevent him from having confidential consultations with his lawyer while he is under detention at the National Hospital.
In a letter addressed to the HRCSL Chairman on Thursday, Mrs. S.B.M.S.B. Sallay has said the latest complaint was filed in relation to an earlier complaint concerning the detention and treatment of her husband.
Full text of the letter: I, Mrs. S.B.M.S.B. Sallay, respectfully write to lodge this further complaint in relation to my earlier complaint bearing reference H RC-HO-1 103-26, concerning the detention and treatment of my husband, Retired Major General Suresh Sallay.
I wish to bring to the attention of the Commission a further serious violation of his fundamental rights that occurred on 08 July 2026 during a consultation between my husband and his Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Asith Siriwardena, while my husband remains under detention and is receiving treatment at the National Hospital.
I am informed by his Counsel that he is presently permitted to consult with my husband only once a week for a period of approximately twenty minutes. During the consultation held on 08 July 2026, officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) stationed at the Cardiac Coronary Care Unit of the National Hospital informed Counsel that they had received instructions from higher authorities that my husband should not be permitted to meet with his
legal counsel in private. Consequently, the officers remained present throughout the consultation and refused to permit a confidential lawyer-client meeting.
This conduct constitutes a grave infringement of my husband’s fundamental right to communicate privately and confidentially with his legal counsel. Confidential communication between an accused or detainee and his lawyer is an indispensable safeguard of the right to legal representation, the right to prepare his defence, and the right to a fair trial. The denial of confidential legal consultations undermines these fundamental protections guaranteed under the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the applicable provisions governing persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
The confidentiality of communications between a lawyer and client is also a well-recognized principle under international human rights law and forms an essential safeguard against arbitrary detention, coercion, and unfair legal proceedings.
In view of the foregoing, I respectfully request the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to urgently intervene and take all necessary steps within its statutory mandate to:
1. Ensure that my husband is afforded immediate and unrestricted confidential access to his legal counsel without the presence or supervision of law enforcement officers;
2. Inquire into the instructions allegedly issued by higher authorities requiring CID officers to remain present during lawyer-client consultations;
3. Direct the relevant authorities to cease any practice that interferes with confidential legal consultations; and
4. Take such further action as the Commission considers appropriate to safeguard my husband’s constitutional and human rights.
This complaint is made as a further complaint to Complaint No. H RC-HO-1103-26, and I respectfully request that it be placed on the same file and considered together with my previous complaints.
I respectfully seek the Commission’s urgent intervention in this matter.
The Supreme Court yesterday (9) upheld a Colombo Commercial High Court order directing former Minister Wimal Weerawansa to pay Rs. 1 million in damages to Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva for violating intellectual property rights.
A three-member Supreme Court bench dismissed in its entirety an appeal filed by Weerawansa challenging the earlier Commercial High Court ruling.
The case was instituted by Silva, who alleged that Weerawansa had violated provisions of the Intellectual Property Act by publishing his book “Neththa Wenuwata Aththa” (“Truth Instead of Lies”), which contained the JVP’s political ideology and official party documents without authorisation.
The Supreme Court also affirmed the order restraining the publication and distribution of the book in its existing form. However, the court ruled that the book could be republished if the 60-page section identified as infringing intellectual property rights was removed.
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