Justice Minister asks monolingual MPs to seek redress from SC over delivering judgments only in English

By Saman Indrajith

Justice Minister Ali Sabry told Parliament that anyone who felt that his or her rights were violated because the Supreme Court gave its verdicts in English language could seek redress by going before the apex court.

Following the government and Opposition MPs raising concerns on the availability of the Supreme Court judgement on the Finance Amendment Bill only in English, the Minister said: “The Supreme Court gives its rulings in English language. If there is a mechanism to translate such texts into Sinhala and Tamil, then that would be better. If anyone including MPs here feels that action amounts to deprivation of their rights they could go before the court.”

After Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced the Supreme Court decision on the Finance Amendment Bill, SLPP MP Gevindu Kumaratunga, raising a point of order, said that the judgment of the Supreme Court was available only in the English language. “I have raised this issue several times here. Even MP Yadamini Gunawardena raised the same issue in December, last year. Yet we continue to receive the Supreme Court judgments only in the English language. The judgment on the 20th amendment bill was given in English. The Judgment on Port City Economic Commission too was given only in the English language. This is against the Constitution of this country and also amounts to breach of privileges of MPs. If the Minister of Justice does not that we call on the Speaker to provide us with Sinhala translation of these judgments. But such Sinhala translations should not be attached with a disclaimer at the end that translators would not take responsibility for the Sinhala translation. Such disclaimer was included in the Sinhala version of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry report on the Easter Sunday carnage.

 Speaker Abeywardena: We present to you that exact judgment sent to us by the Supreme Court without any changes.

Leader of the House Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena: The Justice Minister has given a response to this House on the matter raised by the MP. We have paid our attention to this. We can discuss this to find a solution.

Ratnapura District SJB MP Hesha Withanage: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) (Temporary Provisions) Bill was tabled in this House on July 26. It is only in the English language. We do not know its content. This is an attempt to hide facts. Section 13 of the Standing Orders says that it is a privilege of an MP to obtain documents in a language that he prefers. Why does the government want to hide important provisions using the English language? Most of us speak Sinhala only.

Badulla District SJB MP Chaminda Wijesiri: As per parliament tradition this bill should be provided in all three languages. This is an attempt to hide facts.

 Minister Ali Sabry: There is no hiding of any facts or provisions. The MP should realise that when a bill is gazetted it is gazetted in all three languages. How could one hide something in a bill as these MPs allege. The gazette contains official versions of any bill in Sinhala, Tamil and English.