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Lawyers also need to come forward to safeguard and establish the rule of law in the country – J.C. Weliamuna |
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2009-08-05 | 1.55 PM |
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Attorney J.C. Weliamuna called on members of the legal profession to come forward to safeguard and establish the rule of law in the country at a media conference organized by the Platform for Freedom at the Library Services Auditorium yesterday (4).
He said the country’s Constitution has been violated by the non-implementation of the 17th amendment, adding that public officials from the executive to the grama niladhari are bound to act by it.
Weliamuna said that while there are journalists in the country who have been killed, attacked and have been compelled to leave the country, every law abiding citizen in the country had to work towards getting every journalist who has field the country to return. |
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Meanwhile, President’s Counsel Srinath Perera expressed serious concerns over the attempt to create a public opinion that judges who give verdicts against government officials are traitors by carrying articles stating lawyers appearing on behalf of the Editor and Chairman of The Sunday Leader newspaper in a case filed by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse were traitors.
Addressing the media he said that following failed attempts to get the support of the media through different means, the government is trying to control the media by re-establishing the Press Council.
Senior Attorney Lal Wijenayake observed that while many journalists have been abducted, disappeared and attacked in recent times, no proper investigations have been conducted into them and necessary legal action has not been instituted against the perpetrators. He said even lawyers have now been subjected to the suppression that has been earlier directed towards trade union leaders.
Wijenayake added that the publishing of an article in the state owned Defence Ministry website calling several lawyers as traitors has formed the base for this action, adding that it is the culmination of a series of actions.
He also noted that Sri Lanka is a country with a great history of democracy that was won after many hard battles.
Attorney K.S. Rathnavel also told the media that the legal profession and the independence of the judiciary are under threat and the appointments and promotions made in the legal profession have been challenged due to the non-implementation of the 17th amendment.
He added that the 250,000 odd displaced civilians living in the IDP camps in the north have been denied their rights and regardless of the statements made by the government that they would be fee in 180 days, they are yet denied of their basic rights.
Attorney Chandra Kumarage said that President Mahinda Rajapakse earlier stood for the rights of those who disappeared and killed and even took the case to the international forum in Geneva.
He also observed that while the killings carried out by the police have now been justified, the life of every citizen in the country would be under threat very soon.
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