“The administration of justice in Sri Lanka has never been a case for debate and our judiciary has been regarded in high esteem for its independence and forthrightness. Our judicial officers, the judges of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in particular have been given pride of place in many international forums and commended almost the world over. So it is a kind of high-handed act on the part of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) if its members came as observers.

A senior official of the Attorney General’s Department said nobody cares about the so-called observations of ICJ members at the hearing.

“It was not their job. They must keep off the judiciary of Sri Lanka,” he added.

A former Attorney General on condition of anonymity confirming the sentiments of the AG’s Department said the ICJ had no official or unofficial function at the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

“I wonder whether there was an attempt at giving unnecessary publicity to the case by such an attempt,” he added.

Senior lawyers Desmond Fernando PC who himself was once on the ICJ, said the ICJ members were at the Supreme Court to observe another case being heard the same day.

Asked whether the ICJ members were to submit a report on the proceedings on Tuesday he said he was not aware of any such thing.

Courtesy: Daily Mirror