Sri Lanka: CJ 43 refuses to plead guilty or not guilty

CJ 43

Former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake today declined to plead guilty or not guilty when the case filed by the Bribery Commission was heard in the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court on the grounds that her lawyers were not allowed full access to the bank accounts on which the case was based.

Sri Lanka: Lawyers’ Collective marks impeachment, blasts government

Stanley Samarasinghe
The Lawyers’ Collective held a media conference, at the Nippon Hotel in Colombo yesterday, to mark the first anniversary of the impeachment of the 43rd Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake.
They named the day as ‘Black Friday’. One year ago today the Parliamentary Select Committee report, on the charges set out in impeachment motion against Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, was accepted.

SRI LANKA: The Unfair impeachment of the Chief Justice? Unfair Inquiry of only "Six Hours"- detailed facts & truths.

The most astonishing, outrageous and mysterious aspect of the Impeachment proceedings is: How? The entirety of the 'actual Inquiry proper' of examining and recording of all the evidence of several witnesses, producing and marking enormous amount of complicated documents, was speedily and hurriedly rushed, in about Five Hours, of one continuous sitting, on the 7^th and the deliberation, preparation?

Supreme Court rejects Commonwealth assistance in ousted CJ case

Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake.

Impeachment of Chief Justice:SC denies foreign lawyers, HR group permission to appear

The Supreme Court yesterday refused applications by the Commonwealth Bar Association and the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales. They had sought to appear as amici curiae to inform Court on the Constitutional Act of 2005 of the UK, which refers to the removal of judges.

Sri Lanka: Commonwealth’s secretariat cover ups report on Independence of Judiciary

Shirani Bandaranayake has denied all corruption charges

''THE Commonwealth’s secretariat has been accused of covering up a damning report that described the impeachment of Sri Lanka’s most senior judge as “unlawful” and “unconstitutional”.

If the former Chief Justice had to undergo this barrage of intimidation and cruelty, what would be the plight of the ordinary people?

Persecution of the CJ 43- Editorial, Ceylon Today

The impeached Chief Justice, more commonly known as CJ 43, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, has decided to stand her ground this time, not that she didn’t do so at the very beginning of an unethical process, which impeached her and removed her from that exalted position of Chief Justice of Sri Lanka. The apparent witch-hunt that was engineered by the government has now reached the portals of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

The Commission was prejudiced: CJ 43 to boycott Bribery Commission hearings .

Chief Justice 43 Shirani Bandaranayake informed the Bribery Commission today that she would not present herself before the Commission in the future, as she did not trust the integrity of the process and the Commissioners.  During a hearing which lasted for an hour, CJ 43 Bandaranayake said the Commission was yet to respond to her objections of bias which she submitted during the past hearings. Justice Bandaranayake said the Commission was prejudiced against her and she had been politically victimised.

Entire Ex-Co of BASL to appear on behalf of CJ 43 .

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) at a special meeting today decided that the entire Executive Committee would appear before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court to defend Chief Justice 43, Shirani Bandaranayake who is accused of non- declaration of assets.

BASL “Shocked and appalled” over attacks on 43rd CJ

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka reacted strongly to news that the Bribery Commission had filed legal action against deposed Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake and said all Members of Parliament and other elected officials who had not submitted their asset declarations must be charged under the same law.
 BASL President Attorney-at-Law Upul Jayasuriya told Daily FT that he was “shocked and appalled” at the news that the Bandaranayake was being charged with non-declaration when the accounts in question contained a zero balance, according to bank records.

BASL urges stop to harassment of CJ43 Shirani Bandaranayake

The Executive Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) passed a resolution on Friday evening urging the authorities immediately stop harassing and humiliating Chief Justice 43 Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake. A BASL spokesperson said the BASL Executive Committee (Ex-co) deplored that Dr. Bandaranayake has been subjected to what it regarded as an “absolute unnecessary harassment and humiliation.”

Ex-CJ’s passport IMPOUNDED

As reported by the Government mouth peice Celylon Daily News:
* To foil flight to escape bribery probe
* Used time buying tactics when called for submissions
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption impounded the passport of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake to prevent her from escaping to a foreign country until the probe into the allegations of bribery and corruption against her is concluded.

Asian jurists seriously alarmed by the rapid collapse of the rule of law in Sri Lanka and the loss of the core values of the separation of powers

ASIA: A statement by Asian jurists on the impeachment of the Chief Justice and the collapse of rule of law in Sri Lanka

A statement by Asian Jurists on the Impeachment of the Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, and about the threatened rule of law in Sri Lanka. The statement is issued by the jurists who attended a consultation organised by the Lawyers' Collective of Sri Lanka and the Asian Human Rights Commission, on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers in Asia,

SRI LANKA: We salute the Chief Justice for her courage & She remains the Chief Justice - Lawyers Collective

H.E President Mahinda Rajapaksa's purported letter of removal has been received by the Chief Justice. The Lawyers Collective states that this removal affects the very foundation of independence of the Judiciary, the Rule of Law and all basic norms of a working democracy. The politically motivated process of removal of the Chief Justice was nothing but a misuse and abuse of Constitutional provisions and Standing Orders.