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Lawyers Collective flays Tiran, Deshabandu
The Lawyers’ Collective in a letter addressed to Public Security Minister Tiran Alles on Friday said that the latter’s personal endorsement of Deshabandu Tennekoon continuing in his post as IGP, and expression of confidence in him, amounts to a total violation of the rule of law as explained by the Supreme Court of our country.
“We wish to remind that it is this court that exercises the “judicial power of the people” in a democracy, and no Minister of the Executive branch can act without respect for the powers of the Supreme Court in the important area of Administration of Justice,” the Lawyer’s Collective said in the letter.
Full text of the letter: We are writing this letter to you as members of the Lawyers Collective. We will send copies to the President and Prime Minister, and will place the letter in the public domain. We are doing so because we consider the manner in which you are exercising your powers in the “Yukthiya” Anti Drug Campaign, a matter of grave public concern.
Citizens of the country will endorse your decision to conduct a campaign to address the drug problem and try to eliminate its adverse impact on their lives. It would have been best if the campaign had been commenced when you took office, rather than in the election year 2024. In any event this campaign must conform to the Rule of Law. It cannot be a passionate, personal, initiative that you seek to implement outside the law. The manner in which you are conducting this campaign and making public statements on the media indicates the following:
1) that you will consider any laws that you think restrict your authority as “obstacles” that you have every right to disregard.
2) that you consider all who comment or criticize the manner in which the campaign is conducted to be drug dealers and drug addicts. You have chosen to target in particular, lawyers who do so. You have repeatedly referred to them in this manner, despite a statement from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka objecting to this vicious attack on the legal profession.
3) You have also repeatedly stated on national TV networks that you will disregard any cautions on adhering to norms and standards of international law that apply to the State of Sri Lanka. You have stated that you will disregard them as “foreign and outside influences,” and that you are not bound to conduct the campaign with respect for international law and the views of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
4) You have also publicly stated repeatedly that you appointed Deshabandu Tennekoon as the Acting IGP because he was the best police officer to effectively conduct this Yukthiya Campaign.
We wish to point out that each of these statements indicate that you have no regard for the oath of office you have taken to hold that high office of a Minister with a sense of responsibility, and as a public trust, according to the laws and Constitution of our country.
The Supreme Court, the apex court of our country, has repeatedly emphasized that there is no principle of absolute discretion in the exercise of administrative powers. You are required to respect the rights of citizens to freedom of expression and dissent, and the right of lawyers to fulfill their professional responsibilities. Your statements are a violation of the fundamental rights of citizens. They also fail to recognize the right of lawyers to represent clients. They do so in conformity with professional responsibilities to the Court, (rather than to the Executive or a Minister), in the administration of justice.
Your statements which amount to a rejection of international law show a surprising ignorance of the obligations of the State of Sri Lanka and its Government under ratified international human rights treaties. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is the nodal agency for facilitating the implementation of international law by States, at the national domestic level. Your disparaging remarks in this regard should be immediately restrained by the President on the advice of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is also a senior member of the legal profession, holding the title of Presidents Counsel.
We wish to conclude by pointing out that you personally cannot have any role in the appointment of an IGP. This is a matter for the President and the Constitutional Council. Besides, the Supreme Court has, in a recent case, found Deshabandu Tennekoon personally responsible for acts of torture, and a failure to fulfill his command responsibility to prevent torture by his team of police officers. This conduct amounts to a grave violation of the fundamental rights of a victim, and also a grave criminal offence under the Torture Act of Sri Lanka.
We have addressed the Attorney General on the need to prosecute Deshabandu Tennekoon in conformity with our law. The inaction of the Police Commission in failing, up to now, to take disciplinary action in conformity with the Supreme Court judgment is a matter of public concern. Their silence on this matter is also a breach of public trust in fulfilling their responsibility to ensure high professional standards in the Police force of our country.
Your own personal endorsement of Deshabandu Tennekoon continuing in his post as IGP, and expression of confidence in him, amounts to a total violation of the rule of law as explained by the Supreme Court of our country. We wish to remind that it is this court that exercises the “judicial power of the people” in a democracy, and no Minister of the Executive branch can act without respect for the powers of the Supreme Court in the important area of Administration of Justice.
We conclude this letter by requesting you to please understand the true meaning of “Yukthiya” as linked to the implementation of the Rule of Law as stated in the Constitution, the Torture Act and other laws, and the decisions of the courts of law. It is unfortunate that as a Minister in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka you are acting as if you were exercising executive powers in a type of governance known as a dictatorship. We trust that the President and your colleagues, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Justice (both senior lawyers and President’s Counsel) will restrain your abuse of powers and enable the anti-drug campaign to be conducted with respect for the rule of law and the Supreme Court of the country.
On behalf of the Lawyers’ Collective, the letter has been signed by Rienzie Arsecularatne PC, Upul Jayasuriya PC, Former President – BASL, Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne PC,
Professor Savitri Goonesekere, Attorney-at-Law, Former Vice Chancellor of University of Colombo, Geoffrey Alagaratnam PC, Former President – BASL, Dinal Phillips PC, Saliya Pieris PC, Former President – BASL, S.T. Jayanaga PC, Upul Kumarapperuma PC, Professor Deepika Udagama, Former Chairperson – HRCSL, Professor Camena Gunaratne, Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law, Srinath Perera, Attorney-at-Law, Ermiza Tegal, Attorney-at-Law and Manoj Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law.
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US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
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.”
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Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
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.
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CIPM successfully concludes 8th Annual Symposium
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.