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Ex-State Counsel asks govt. to discard Rehabilitation Bill
Former lawmaker M.M. Zuhair, PC, who also served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Iran, has urged the government to discard the proposed Rehabilitation Bill. The former State Counsel argued that the proposed law couldn’t co-exist with fundamental rights provisions, provided for in the Constitution.
The following is the text of the statement: A spate of views have already been placed convincingly before the country by many against the Bureau of Rehabilitation Bill. The Supreme Court, in a welcome determination, within the ambit of its constitutionally limited powers, has struck down the Rehabilitation Bill as being inconsistent ‘as a whole’ with Article 12(1) of the Constitution. Rarely in the past has the Supreme Court indicted any Bill as a whole!
The Supreme Court has also indicated that the inconsistency can be overcome if ‘all references to “ex-combatants”, “violent extremist groups” and “any other group of persons” are deleted from the Bill’ and ‘the Bill is limited to the rehabilitation of drug dependent persons and such other persons as may be identified by law’.
It is now the government’s turn to dump this controversial bill as it cannot exist within a democratic State or co-exist with the citizen’s fundamental rights. The Court and the 12 Petitioners who challenged the bill in eight Petitions have done democratic governance in Sri Lanka a timely service!
The Supreme Court has also examined in detail the several provisions in the Bill and made several determinations, virtually down-rating the draft law and imposing the 2/3rd majority requirement for most provisions. Reading between the lines, the judicial view appears to be: ‘Rehabilitation? Yes! But stick to the convicted drug addicts’!
What is now required is for the much criticised parliamentarians, the political parties and the active sectors of the civil society in the country to follow up the proposed law from other platforms to which the Supreme Court or the Attorney General may not constitutionally venture into.
It is also the responsibility of the rest of the society to focus on the Bill’s ethical illegitimacy and abort it, notwithstanding the proposed amendments the Supreme Court has carefully determined within its constitutionally limited powers.
For instance the definition of the word “rehabilitation” both in the original Bill, and the Supreme Court’s redefined draft, clearly brings out a national “health” related problem and not a “security” related issue. The redefined draft refers to “the procedures and programmes for rehabilitation, treatment, aftercare and support services that shall be prescribed by regulations, made under this Act”.
Rehabilitation, as proposed in the Bill, can never be the function of the armed forces but must come under the country’s health sector, considering the objectives of rehabilitation as a healthy alternative to harsh punishments. Clause 17 in the Bill gives undefined roles for the armed forces in the Bureau of Rehabilitation, though they may have some role outside the perimeters of the rehabilitation centres. The Supreme Court has determined Clause 17 as being inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution.
Another matter of importance is that the inclusion of ‘ex-combatants’, ‘violent extremist groups’ and ‘other groups…’ has come up for serious criticism in the media, and during the submissions in Court. The Supreme Court has commented on the references to these sectors as being inconsistent with Article 12, excluding only the rehabilitation of drug dependent persons.
The question that the draftsmen ought to have addressed is, should “violent extremists”, ranging from the Police defined ‘Aragalaya extremists’ to violent extremists of all religions, be lumped together with the “drug addicts” for the so called rehabilitation! Who will rehabilitate the Aragalaya activists who had been calling for the accountability of those responsible for the economic bankruptcy of the country? Armed forces? Who will rehabilitate the undefined so called Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic and Christian violent religious extremists, if there be any? The Norwegian brain washed right wing extremists or the armed forces?
Rehabilitation of a defined category of convicted offenders in lieu of imprisonment is no doubt a welcome measure. But the Bill does not provide for any judicial determination, essential pre-requisite for rehabilitation, if fundamental rights are to be protected. The Supreme Court has pointed out that reference for rehabilitation must be through an order made by a Court of competent jurisdiction.
The Justice Minister must do justice to the drug addicts by bringing their on-going rehabilitations under the Healthy Ministry and by restricting rehabilitation to trained medical personnel and limiting rehabilitation only to Court convicted drug addicts.”
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
