|
|
Jaffna Bar split over its head going against Magistrate
Friday, 3 August 2012 - 10:25 AM SL Time
 Share On Facebook
|
|
|
The Jaffna Bar Association has suffered a debilitating split over its President Ms Shantha Abimanasingham, PC, throwing her weight behind the Jaffna-based Uthayan newspaper subsequent to a dispute between the paper and Jaffna Magistrate M. Ganesharajah over a recent contempt of court case.
A spokesperson for the rebel group, Rengan Devarajan, told The Island yesterday that they would establish a separate association shortly. Asked whether they had made an attempt to patch up, Devarajan emphasised that their decision was final.
`We ll be formally informing the Bar Association of Sri Lanka shortly of our decision,` he said, urging the BASL to probe the circumstances under which Ms Abimanasingham and another lawyer, whom he described as a young politician, had acted against the interests of the Jaffna judiciary.
Trouble erupted when Jaffna Magistrate Ganesharajah issued a stay order against a planned protest by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). The Uthyan reported that the Jaffna Magistrate had apologised to TNA National List MP M. Sumanthiran in open Court for that order. Although the Magistrate summoned the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper as regards the erroneous report, the person, who appeared in Court on behalf of him, declined to carry a correction, though he apologised in open Court.
Devarajan said that a lawyer, who had represented the Uthayan, too, stated in open Court that the Jaffna Magistrate had not offered an apology to MP Sumanthiran. Asked whether the rebel lawyers had sufficient numbers to form an association of their own, Devarajan said that many prominent lawyers had pledged solidarity with them to protect the judiciary. `We have the support of almost all the retired High Court Judges and Magistrates now practising in Jaffna as well as many other prominent lawyers,` he said.
Devarajan said the Jaffna case was an example of how interested parties could manipulate the judiciary at the expense of justice and fair play.
|
|
|
cgudu
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 621
Member Profile
|
 5 Aug 2012 04:55:30 GMT Report for Abuse
|
| As citizens of a country on the verge of falling into the abyss, we can only roundly condemn its fundamental lack of honesty and sincerity. |
|
Search All News and Discussions