The Hon. R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, new legal measures have been introduced concerning children’s rights and welfare. As children enter society, there must be social justice and an end to abuses.

¶ 02 Questions have arisen regarding the justice system. Sovereignty lies with the People and is exercised by Parliament, which vests judicial power in the courts by law. We must ensure fairness and equality in that exercise.

¶ 03 A previous Member said the NPP came to cleanse past wrongs done to the judiciary—judges’ houses stoned, a Chief Justice ousted. We ask: are things being corrected now, or worsened? Recent arrests, court productions, and bail decisions have become hotly debated. Under international norms, bail is preferred to avoid duplicate punishments—remand before trial and then sentence after trial. Yet recent practices have raised concerns among judges, lawyers, and the public.

¶ 04 Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested without prior advice from the AG’s Department and produced in court. Generally, bail is denied if the accused will abscond or interfere with evidence. None of that applied to a former President, a public figure. He neither fled nor avoided court, and he was in government. Why then was bail not considered appropriately? These are the inconsistencies we must address to preserve faith in the rule of law.