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SJB: Prosecution without sufficient evidence should be stopped immediately
The SJB says that the President setting up of task forces saying one country, one law is akin to appointing a parallel government while the Ministry of Justice is taking action to minimize delays in litigations by expanding the judicial benches and digitalizing court processes.
Participating in the third reading debate on Budget 2022 under the expenditure heads of the Ministry of Justice SJB MP Eran Wickremaratne on Thursday said as per the constitutional provisions, the functions of the ministries should be carried out by the Cabinet of Ministers.
“We learned through the media that the Minister of Justice had resigned in protest against the appointment of a task force, ‘One Country One Law’ and the appointment of an unsuitable person for such task force which was uncalled for, it appears that a parallel government structure is being evolved.”
According to a report obtained from the Ministry of Justice, the number of court cases has increased from 775,617 in 2018 to 920,660 by 2020. Accordingly, it is observed that the number of cases in the courts of this country are increasing by about 10% annually, the MP said.
He said that the Attorney General’s Department has multiple roles and responsibilities. As one contradicts the other it is an obstacle to the independence and impartiality of that institution. The Attorney General is, on the one hand, is the Chief lawyer of the government and government departments, and on the other hand is the chief prosecutor. Accordingly, in his multiple roles the conflicts of interest are inevitable. The Attorney General himself appears in the Supreme Court, representing the Government on the constitutionality of the bills brought by the Government. It is the Attorney General who advises the government on the matters presenting to Parliament. Therefore, due to the multiple-role of the Attorney General’s Department, there is a huge potential for the AG’s department to become politicized. Under this backdrop, the MP stressed that Parliament has a responsibility to introduce a system that preserves the dignity of the Attorney General’s Department.
If the Attorney General’s Department continues to function in accordance with the current tasks assigned to it, it may lose its trust among the people. Therefore, the role of the AG as the Chief Prosecutor should be considered. The Attorney General recently withdrew a large number of cases of dozens of politicians. It was up to the courts to decide whether these people were guilty or not. Prosecuting politicians and later withdrawing them is something that does not happen with this frequency in other countries. This tarnishes the dignity of Parliament.
Therefore, if there is insufficient evidence in a case, the Attorney General’s Department should not rush to prosecute. The Attorney General who filed the case initially, following the change of a government goes to court and withdraw the case saying there was no evidence or on a technical basis is detrimental to the dignity of Parliament, the judiciary, the professionals and the country. Therefore, Wickremaratne urged the Minister of Justice to bring reforms regarding the responsibilities and roles of the Attorney General’s Department along with the legal reforms currently being carried out by the Ministry of Justice.
Hijaz Hezbollah, an Attorney-at-Law, has been detained for over 600 days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Azath Salley was detained under the PTA without evidence for about nine months. Anaf Jazeem a teacher and a poet has been detained for 18 months. The Solicitor General told the Court that there was no objection to the grant of bail for Jazeem. These arrests and detentions are being made at the behest of the authorities without sufficient evidence, to intimidate, to silence and harass opponents.
Wickremaratne called on the Minister of Justice to focus his attention on amending the PTA which was originally brought as temporary measure which is used to keep in custody innocent people over long periods of time.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
