The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 An order to arrest and produce. Do not heckle; I will table it; I have it in Colombo. It was not implemented.

¶ 02 Next, in the Rajitha Senaratne case: when the Chief Magistrate refused the bail requested by the Commission, they sought a warrant; she refused. Then, during court vacation, on a Tuesday when the Chief Magistrate was sitting, the Bribery Commission went to Additional Magistrate of Court No. 3 to seek a warrant. One never goes outside one’s own court house to seek such orders—and they should not be granted. Yet during the vacation Dr. Rajitha Senaratne was arrested. Also, a senior judge from Court No. 58 requested Court No. 2, as was his right, but was sent further away. There are many such incidents; time is short. The “I agree” set is fixing this.

¶ 03 Moreover, promotions: there were 208 vacancies; 35 were called for the first ever interview. The most senior—Mrs. Ferdinands—was dropped; then Mrs. Liyanage was dropped; third-placed Hewavassam remained. Senior judges in the Supra Grade were pushed out. Those now posted to the Colombo High Courts are ones the authorities can “control”—I do not say they will act wrongly, but I ask whether the process is being fixed.

¶ 04 If this continues, we will be compelled to take it internationally—to the International Court of Justice, the International Bar Association, Transparency International, the World Justice Project, and invoke the Latimer House Principles. We ask the Chief Justice to look into this, and that a committee be appointed to inquire, so these injustices do not persist. With that appeal, I conclude.

¶ 05 Thank you.