News
Retired HC judge says he was denied promotion
Retired High Court judge Manikavasagar Illancheliyan recently said that he had been deprived of an opportunity to serve for four more years for no fault of his.
Illancheliyan presided over many high profile criminal cases including the rape and murder of Sivaloganathan Vithya. He was the target of a failed assassination attempt in July 2017 near the Nallur Kovil in Jaffna where the police officer escorting him was killed.
Addressing a gathering in London, Illancheliyan said that he had been the President of High Court Judges’ Association and topped the Association’s seniority list of 90 high court judges.
Illancheliyan recalled that Anura Kumara Dissanayake was elected the President on 21 September 2025. He as the President of High Court Judges’ Association, wrote to the President asking for an opportunity to meet him. He was kind enough to give us an opportunity and we, ten high court judges, met him at the Presidential Secretariat on 28 November 2024. My colleagues reminded the President that my retirement date was 20 January 2025 and stressed the need to expedite the promotion of High Court Judges as three vacations – court vacation, Christmas vacation and News Year vacation were to fall before my retirement. The President was joyful and he also posed for a photograph with me. On 12 January 2024, four Appeal Court judges were promoted as Supreme Court judges and there were four vacancies for Appeal Court judges and I had only eight days left for my retirement. On 13 January 2025, the President, comrade Anura Dissanayake left the country for China. It was my misfortune. He returned to the country on 18 January 2025. The following day was Sunday and I retired the next day, Monday. If I had been promoted I would have stayed in service for four more years. I wrote four letters to the President telling him I did not willingly go on retirement but I was forced to retire. I did not get any reply from him. The President is a good person. Something went wrong. I’m a retired judge. I do not blame anybody. The injustice can still be rectified but no interest was shown, said retired High Court judge Manikavasagar Illancheliyan speaking before the Tamil Community in London. He nearly moved to tears.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Showery condition over the island is expected to reduce from tomorrow (15th)
USA’s Ali Khan claims having been ‘denied’ India visa ahead of T20 World Cup
At least 28 dead as crane collapses onto train in Thailand
Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
Trump cancels US-Iran meetings, urges protesters to take over institutions
Govt. bows to pressure, shelves Grade 6 reforms
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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