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Law College Students’ Union asks Justice Minister to place fee hike gazette before Parliament
The Law Students’ Union of Sri Lanka (LSU) has urged Minister of Justice Dr. Wijayadasa Rajapakshe to place the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2313/49, dated 05-01-2023, before the Parliament, as per the provisions of the Council of Legal Education Ordinance No. 2 of 1990.
In a letter signed by LSU President Shenal Wijesinghe and Secretary Kavindu Malshan Hewamalage addressed to the Justice Minister the LSU says: “This letter is with concern to the contents of the Extraordinary Gazette Notice No. 2313/49 dated 5th of January 2023. This Gazette Notice contained an unreasonable and exponential increase in the fees at Sri Lanka Law College that shocked and perturbed the law student fraternity and the general public at large.
As the elected representative body, the Law Students’ Union of Sri Lanka, made several representations to the members of the Council of Legal Education and your esteemed self as well. Subsequently, a petition signed by the 185 students of the 148th batch, together with written representations from the Law Students of the Universities of Colombo and Peradeniya, was placed before the Council seeking a reconsideration of the fee structure. It was conveyed to us, thus, that the matter would be discussed at the meeting on the 5th of September 2023.
Thereafter, there has been no communication to us about a positive change in the fee structure. Moreover, other than some vague iteration about scholarships, no sustainable or practicable solution to the difficulties of the students has been implemented. While we acknowledge that scholarships as some relief, is better than no relief, it is certainly not a long-term solution to the difficulties expressed by law students.
We note that the following fee increase was made in the context of, and possibly oblivious to Sri Lanka’s national poverty line being Rs 13,777 and the population in poverty being 31% or seven million people. Moreover, the household monthly mean per capita income is Rs. 20,577 which further drops to Rs 18,770 and Rs 11,647 in the rural and estate sector households.
Therefore, implementing the following changes in the fee structure has the undeniable and irrefutable consequence of eliminating the accessibility of legal education to students from less-privileged backgrounds (whom as the statistics cited above show, form a large swathe of the Sri Lankan population) i.e. the restriction of the legal profession to the upper classes, as it once was many decades ago.
1. Entrance Examination Fee increased by 150% from 6,000 to 15,000
2. Preliminary Year Lectures Fees increased by 257.14% from 18,900 to 67,500
3. Intermediate Year Lectures Fees increased by 170% from 15,000 to 40,500
4. Final Year Lectures Fees increased by 184.62% from 19,500 to 55,500
5. Apprentices Practical Training Lectures Fees increased by 316.67% from 6,000 to 25,000
6. Exam Fees per paper increased by 250% from 1,000 to 2,500
7. Total cost for state university graduates increased by 179.10% from 33,500 to 93,500
In consideration of this, the issues which many students of Sri Lanka Law College faced, with regard to this unbearable increment of fees, still persist at large and in this context request that you place the contentious Extraordinary Gazette before the Parliament as provided for in s. 7(3) of the Council of Legal Education Ordinance No. 2 of 1900 which states that “Every by-law, rule or order made by the Council shall, as soon as convenient after its publication in the Gazette, be brought before Parliament for approval”.
Additionally, we urge you to explore the possibility of securing a government grant to Sri Lanka Law College from the Treasury to assist in financing the daily operational expenses. Moreover, it is also proposed that you make necessary arrangements to establish a concessionary loan scheme with an adequate grace period for the benefit of students of Sri Lanka Law College. For instance, Sri Lanka Law College can also be made an eligible institution under the interest-free loan scheme operated by the Ministry of Higher Education.”
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
