Northern Province and Galle District lawyers refrain from court activities.

Northern Province and Galle District lawyers refrain from court activities.

Tuesday, 11 December 2012 - 08:30 AM

All Northern Province lawyers have decided on a four-day boycott of duties from today.

BASL's Jaffna district branch deputy chairperson Shaantaa Abhimannasingam said that the branch made this decision in protest against the unacceptable PSC report following the impeachment against Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake. 

She said that after her branch made this decision BASL's Vavuniya, Mannar and Kilinochchi district branches too expressed their support for the boycott.

BASL's Galle District branch Secretary Amaradivaakara LiyanaAarachchi told our news team that lawyers of his branch too have decided to refrain from duties today and tomorrow.

BASL's executive council too engaged in a discussion yesterday with regard to the decision the PSC investigating the impeachment had taken against the Chief Justice.

BASL's secretary Sanjaya Gamagey told our news team that at the said discussion it had been decided to stage a one-hour protest in front of all courts island-wide on Wednesday expressing protest against the PSC decision.

While Supreme Court lawyers held a special discussion yesterday with regard to the impeachment a special media discussion too has been convened for today for informing about the decisions taken at the discussion.

Meanwhile three petitions were filed before the Supreme Court yesterday requesting for the SC's verdict declaring that the investigation procedure adopted for probing the impeachment charges against the Chief Justice was in accordance with the constitution.

Public Service Trade Union Federation Chairman W. D. Piyadasa, former High Court Judge P. W. Wijeratne and Sri Lanka Progressivd Front Chairman Peter Nelson Perera have filed these petitions.

These petitions are scheduled to be considered before the High Court on 13th and 14th this month.  

The UNP says that the Commonwealth Ministerial working committee should be entrusted with the task of finding out whether the commonwealth principles have been violated by the manner the PSC has acted against the Chief Justice.

UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera elaborating on this stated as follows:


However participating at a people's rally held in Matara yesterday Minister Dallas Alahapperuma requested that the PSC report on the impeachment  is not looked at emotionally.


Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony said India will provide short-term and long-term training programmes to military personnel from Sri Lanka and other neighbouring countries.

The minister said in a written statement in the Lok Sabha that the training covers both technical and non-technical streams.

Meanwhile members P. Lingam and Prabodh Panda inquired if Sri Lankan army personnel were still being trained by the Indian Army.

Antony said training exchanges were conducted between military personnel of India and "various neighbouring countries including Sri Lanka".

He said the training took place in different states "where defence educational and training establishments are located, depending on the training requirements".