The president's choice for Chief Justice is no respecter of the law

This morning, according to reports, the main gates leading to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka remained closed and heavily guarded in order to prevent the Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake from entering in order to continue to function as the legitimate holder of the post of Chief Justice.

Canadian PM rebukes Sri Lanka over jurist’s dismissal as talk of summit boycott heats up

MIKE BLANCHFIELD
Canada appeared to be one step closer to boycotting this year’s Commonwealth leaders’ summit Monday as Prime Minister Stephen Harper bluntly called on the Sri Lankan government to reinstate the country’s fired chief justice.
Mr. Harper has threatened to ignore the 54-country summit that Sri Lanka hosts later this year because he has serious concerns about Colombo’s commitment to human rights and democracy since the country’s long civil war ended in 2009.

Impeachment, mob rule and Rajapaksa

A pro-government mob armed with clubs attacked lawyers' offices and bystanders near Sri Lanka's main court complex on Thursday (AP photo)

Dr. Jehan Perera
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has acted swiftly after the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake by Parliament to issue a Presidential decree that removes her from office. This letter has been delivered to the Chief Justice. However, there is considerable support from the legal fraternity that she remains Chief Justice regardless of the Presidential letter. This is on account of a Supreme Court ruling that the impeachment process was not in conformity with the law. A group of leading lawyers has said, “The Lawyers Collective categorically reiterates that Hon. Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake remains the Chief Justice, notwithstanding being unconstitutionally removed.” What will eventually transpire in the days ahead is unclear.

Government commences hate campaign against lawyers who opposed impeachment

Status Report of Lawyers Collective
The letter of removal of the Chief Justice was received by her on 13th January 2013.
The President has summoned judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court 13th, 14th and 15th January respectively. There is no Constitutional tradition in Sri Lanka authorizing the President to do so. In the present circumstances, the Judges are compelled to meet the President ignoring the constitutional tradition.

Commonwealth Chief disappointed over removel of CJ

While expressing extreme disappointment over the dismissal of the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma on Sunday said he would also consider further Commonwealth initiatives and responses as are envisaged in situations that could be perceived to constitute violations of core Commonwealth values and principles.

American Press on Impeachment and removal of the CJ

President of Sri Lanka Dismisses Chief Justice - NYT
By GARDINER HARRIS
NEW DELHI — President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka removed the nation’s chief justice from office on Sunday in the culmination of a widely criticized impeachment process that has crippled the nation’s courts and may precipitate a constitutional crisis.

THE MAN WHO FOOLED THE WORLD NOMINATED AS NEXT ‘CJ’ IN SRI LANKA

A liar is about to take an oath before an executive liar; while incumbent Chief Justice decided to continue her job according to the law
SHAME! SHAME!! SHAME!!!
 Mohan Peiris, a former Attorney General and currently Legal Adviser to the Cabinet of Ministers has been nominated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to be the next Chief Justice of Sri Lanka.
His name has been submitted to the Parliamentary Council headed by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa under the 18th Amendment to the Constituion that replaced the Constitutional Council (17th Amendment) which vets names of those nominated to hold high office.

SRI LANKA: Proposing Mohan Peiris as CJ belies the claim that the impeachment was all about integrity

A Statement from the Asian Human Rights Commission
It has been reported that the name of Mohan Peiris has been proposed as one of the names for the office of Chief Justice by the Sri Lankan government. If the role of the chief justice is to be that of a stooge of the government perhaps there is hardly anyone more suited to the post that Mr. Peiris.

Mohan Peiris, who lied to UN and defended GoSL at UN moninated for new CJ

According to reports coming form Colombo former AG Mr. Mohan Peiris is among the  one of the three  persons nominated by the President Rajapaksha as new Chief Justice of Sri Lanka. 

Mr. Mohan Peiris lied to UN CAT on the issue of disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda and when challenged at courts refused to accept the verbatim report on his submission to CAT as a true copy. He has been the leader of  GoSl team to Geneva UNHRC for years and has defended the government on its HR record.
Currently he is the legal adviser to the Cabinet. 

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.

The National Peace Council expresses its grave anxiety that the ground is being laid for non-democratic processes to gain strength

Where the Rule of Law breaks down, it is inevitable that mob rule will eventually prevail ( Goons assault pro democracy protesters)

National Peace Council
The Sri Lanka Parliament vote to impeach the Chief Justice has been in total disregard of the judicial decision by the country’s two highest courts- the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal that the findings of the Parliamentary Select Committee have no basis in law and are invalid. Now this extra-legal process of impeachment awaits the President’s final decision. However, the power of interpretation of the Constitution lies solely with the Supreme Court.

We demand that the Sri Lankan government enact and implement laws and policies on international labour migration which ensure the adequate protection of all migrant workers

Demonstrators in Colombo protest against the execution of Rizana Nafeek. Photograph: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters

Civil society Statement on the execution of Rizana Nafeek
We, the undersigned, condemn in the strongest terms the beheading of Rizana Nafeek – the Sri Lankan domestic migrant worker convicted aged 17 in 2005, for the accidental death of an infant – in Saudi Arabia on the morning of 09 January 2013.
We are shocked at the decision of Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry, under Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, to expedite and carry out Nafeek’s execution despite repeated appeals by the Government of Sri Lanka, local civil society, the international human rights community, and members of her family.

A face-lift to the entire North is not a substitute for finding a just solution to the festering ethnic problem

''Three and a half years have passed since the 30 year war ended. As the people in the North who had to bear the brunt of the war especially during the final stages of the war we hoped that the situation would improve and in fact we were promised that a solution would he found for the ethnic problem and that there would be a peaceful future. Unfortunately the Government is paying more attention to the annual 'Victory Day' celebrations and ignoring a genuine pursuit for peace and reconciliation''

‘Mervyn would’ve killed us all’ - Chairman, Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha

Chairman of the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha (PS), Prasanna Ranaweera, expressed gratitude to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, for accepting the resignation of Minister Mervyn Silva from the post of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Organizer of Kelaniya, and alleged the minister would have killed them all, if he remained in the position.

Beheading of Rixana Nafeek: The Internatianl out cry

• UN Chief Slams Beheading Of Rizana
• HR High Commissiner expressed deep dismay on the execution of Rizana Nafeek
• EU dismayed at Rizana’s execution
• UK and France condemn killing of Rizana Nafeek in Saudi
• Norway ‘shocked’ by execution of Rizana Nafeek

President removes CJ

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has signed the order for the removal notice of the Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, the Presidential Spokesman said in a statement. The letter removing Shirani Bandaranayake from the office of chief justice ratifying parliament’s vote to impeach her the spokesman said. According to reports the letter was signed by the President this morning and hand-delivered to her official residence.

She also gave a good fight, well knowing that forces ranged against her were too strong to overcome

Curtain about to fall, Editorial, The Island
What Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake and her supporters will now do, given Friday night’s parliamentary vote which virtually sealed her fate, is anybody’s guess. There had been no official announcement that the president has dismissed the CJ as this is being written but the inner councils of government expected that the deed will be done very quickly. It is of course open to Ms. Bandaranayake to tender her resignation or retirement papers, as the case may be, before the axe falls. She can also doggedly take the stand that given the interpretation of the constitution by the Supreme Court and the writ granted by the Court of Appeal, any dismissal is illegal and invalid.

Impeachment debate: The historical silence of Ranil Wikremasinghe

In a move that is seen as historic as the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice that was passed with a two-thirds majority in Parliament on Friday, Leader of the Opposition and the United National Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremesinghe, chose to remain silent through the two days of debating.
Several members of the UNP admitted their leader did not utter a word during the debate, although he had reneged on a deal struck with the opposition parties to boycott the debate and the vote on the impeachment, and decided to participate in the debate and the voting. They also accused Wickremesinghe of not taking any timely action over the impeachment motion.

Impeachment: Game Changer

Sri Lanka 'Black Friday Impeachment' will reduce citizens' liberties: legislator
Sri Lanka's 'Black Friday Impeachment' of the chief justice will mark a new chapter in illiberal democracy where parliamentary majorities are abused to rob liberties of citizens, a legislator has warned.
 "The Black Friday impeachment is another shameful day in the history of our country," opposition legislator Harsha de Silva said in a statement.

Democracy mourns for judgment fled to brutish beasts

Mr. Piyal Kariyawasam, who was about to join the Lawyers led Black Friday protest being assaulted by GoSL sponsored thugs

Kishali Pinto Jayawardene
As the sun went down this Friday on bare bodied ruffians raucously celebrating Parliament’s spectacularly unjust impeachment of the country’s Chief Justice with crackers and kiribath, judgment fled to brutish beasts and Sri Lanka entered its darkest phase since independence.
This Government with its ineffectual ally, the main Opposition United National Party, could together boast of seemingly levelling a death blow at the last remaining bulwark of a defiantly rebellious judiciary. In truth, LTTE leader the late Velupillai Prabhakaran achieved in death through the monumental follies of ‘Dharmishta Sinhala’ leaders, what he could not accomplish in life.

Rizana Nafik, Shirani Bandaranayake and the Lankan Reality

“Why couldn’t you at least get my child’s body down?”
Rizana’s mother queries the government (BBC – 11.1.2013)
Rizana Nafik was beheaded at 11.40 am on 9th January 2013. Two hours later, at 1.40 pm, Minister Dilan Perera informed the Lankan parliament that “the government has done everything to save Rizana and she will be released soon” (Gossip Lanka).

Colombo’s military establishment steps up psyop war on Eezham Tamils

The Sri Lankan “Terrorist” Investigation Department (SL-TID), which had summoned Mr Sivagnanam Sritharan, the Tamil parliamentarian from Ki’linochchi, to Colombo Police Headquarters in June 2012 to grill him on his interviews published in diaspora and Tamil Nadu media, was first looking to frame the parliamentarian as someone who had violated the 6th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution. Three months later, the police bodyguards provided to him from the Ministerial Security Division were withdrawn by Colombo without any explanation. On Saturday, the SL-TID entered the office of Mr Sritharan alleging that they had information on explosives.

SL military registers details of employees in businesses in Jaffna

The military of occupying Sri Lanka has been deployed in registering details of employees in businesses in the Jaffna peninsula. Three to four SL military intelligence personnel accompanied by one SL policeman visit the shops and other businesses to register details of the employees. The SL soldiers are particular in collecting details of former LTTE members employed in the businesses, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, the occupying Sri Lankan military has taken an upper hand over the Sinhala police in dealing with the civil affairs in recent weeks, NGO officials in Jaffna say.

SL “Terrorist” investigators allegedly plant bomb at TNA MP's office in Ki'linochchi

The Sri Lankan “Terrorist” Investigation Department (TID) personnel, who receive instructions from SL Defence Secretary and presidential sibling Gotabhaya Rajapaksa “recovered” C4 explosives from the office of the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Sritharan in a move to trap the Tamil parliamentarian, on Saturday, sources close to the TNA MP told TamilNet. The SL-TID operatives who came to the office with a TNA supporter who had campaigned for Sritharan during the election, planted the explosives inside the office and “discovered” them, the sources close to the Tamil parliamentarian alleged.

Sri Lanka at the crossroads: Discrimination and thuggary against Muslim community

A Sri Lankan Muslim shouts slogans during a protest against the government in Colombo April 27, 2012. According to local media, Muslims in Sri Lanka have gathered to protest against a government decision to demolish and relocate a mosque located inside a Buddhist sacred area in the central town of Dambulla. The decision came after pressure from Buddhist monks who have demanded the removal of the mosque and Hindu temple from the Buddhist sacred area. Thousands of Buddhist monks and lay supporters charged into the mosque claiming the mosque was built illegally on April 20. Sri Lanka's Minister of Lands and Land Development Janaka Bandara Tennakoon said on Wednesday that the mosque cannot be removed and that the conflict should be resolved through peaceful discussion.  

- AlertNet

REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte Credit: Reuters