Sri Lankan lawyers on Monday legally challenged the presidential order of sacking the country’s chief justice and vowed to keep battle for judicial independence.
The ‘Lawyers’ Collective’, said that they would not consider Shirani Bandaranayake’s replacement as chief justice. Bandaranayake, Sri Lanka’s first woman chief justice, was removed despite a succession of court rulings which declared the impeachment process to be unconstitutional. J. C. Weliamuna talking to reporters on Monday said that “we will use all legal avenues to challenge this purported impeachment. This is not a matter that affects only her and the legal fraternity but the democratic rights of all citizens.”
Rajapakse brushed aside international calls for restraint and sacked Bandaranayake who would have had enjoyed another 11 years in office. The government’s senior legal advisor Mohan Peiris and the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court Shiranee Tilakawardane are among the front runners eyeing to replace Bandaranayake. “An appointment is imminent”, said srilankan officials.
The main opposition United National Party rejected the sacking while the Commonwealth, the United States and Britain hexpressed concern over the impeachment and termed it as blow to rule of law and good governance. The government maintains that it followed a constitutional and denies that the move was politically motivated.
