(Lanka-e-News- 03.Feb.2015, 8.30PM) Within just three days ,that is on the 28 th , 29 th and 30 th of January 2015 ,most welcome measures were taken to elevate and exalt the judiciary of Sri Lanka and make it stand upright with honor and dignity on its own legs after the untoward incidents that were witnessed in the recent past aimed at degrading and disgracing the independent judiciary on a scale unprecedented in Sri Lanka ‘s history- we are indeed happy to report this salutary news which we missed out.
On the 28 th , President Maithripala Sirisena based on a decision that the appointment of former chief justice (CJ) Mohan Peiris better known as cheat justice was unlawful , took steps to reinstate Shiranee Bandaranaike as the Chief justice (CJ) who was earlier on removed from her CJ post on a faulty impeachment motion. This reinstatement was rendered possible because, previously during the impeachment process , the motion that was tabled in Parliament against her after the impeachment in court was not duly presented to remove the CJ , instead the motion tabled was regarding the need for the appointment of a Parliamentary committee to oust the CJ.
As a result , based on the premise that Shiranee had not been legally removed from her post of CJ , Mohan Peiris (ex CJ) , the cheat justice was replaced by Shiranee Bandaranaike by the President by virtue of the powers vested in him.
However , when the new CJ Shiranee Bandaranaike arrived in court on the 28 th to assume duties , the registrar of courts , a stooge of Mohan Peiris , acting in furtherance of a conspiracy hatched by the latter , in a manner to obstruct the opening of the CJ’s chamber in the SC for her. When the registrar told that she cannot open the CJ’s chamber., the Marshall who is in charge of the SC premises had appeared and stated by virtue of the powers vested in him he can break open the door, if she will not open it. The registrar who got alarmed had opened the SC complex door finally.
Shiranee who resumed her duties on the 28 th , went on retirement formally on the 29 th. The farewell accorded to her was most special because all the judges of the highest echelons attended the ceremony much more than at any other farewell accorded to any other judge at their retirement .
Except justice of the SC Patabendi Upali Abeyratne , nicknamed
‘Pissu poosa’ ( mad cat) who was appointed by the equally demented MaRa , all the judges of the SC , appeal courts , 147 magistrates of the magistrate courts spread Island wide , 28 President’s counsels , and a horde of lawyers attended the function . The crowd was so large that the new hall on the 5 th floor of the SC complex was spilling over.
This hall where the farewell function was held was renovated to be opened by Mahinda Rajapakse the ex President in his name. Though that was the original plan , it was not to be , and with the ousting of Mahinda from power , this hall was opened automatically when the farewell ceremony was held there .
Following a brief farewell speech made by Shiranee in which she expressed her gratitude to the media personnel who came to welcome her , appeared for a group photograph with them . This is the first time a CJ had posed for a group photograph with the media personnel in Sri Lanka ‘s history.
On the 30 th , the President appointed the most senior judge of the SC SriPavan as the chief justice.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakse attended the event.
Later the PM remarked , on the 8 th the President took oaths before the new CJ , and now CJ Sri Pavan is taking oaths before the President.
The chief Minister of north and former SC judge Vigneswaran issuing a statement praised the appointment of SriPavan as the CJ. Vigneswaran in his statement commented that this appointment is conducive to creating an environment of harmony among all races , and it is an index that the new government is committed to protecting all races and ushering in peace in the country.
Meanwhile to fill the vacancy arising in the supreme court (SC) following Shiranee’s retirement ,appeal court judge Anil Gunaratne was appointed, while the vacancy created owing to this in the appeal court , was filled by justice Lakshman Tikiri Bandara Dehideniya , a former high court judge . After these two justices were sworn in before the CJ, they received their letters from the President. These appointments were made based on their seniority , and they were not brought in from outside .
Such appointments shall be made by the judicial service commission after it is empowered based on the proposed 19 th amendment to he constitution.
What is significant to note here is that the judiciary that was subordinated to most sordid levels by converting it into ‘Kangaroo court system,’ during the last two years by the Rajapakse regime, just within a few days ,from 28 th until 30 th January following the revolutionary changes introduced , it became possible to restore the judiciary to its original lofty standard founded on its hallowed traditions.
This is an outcome of the unrelenting struggle that was carried on during the last several years by the legal community and civilians. All those who participated in this struggle should be thanked profusely for this . Nevertheless , it is very unfortunate a few political turncoats like hypocritical Wimal Weerawansa , Vasudeva Nanayakkara , DEW Gunasekera and Tissa Vitharane some of whom are suffering also from senile mental decay but still stubbornly holding on to the evil habit of changing principles like the chameleon changes colors ,to gain selfish political mileage, and who are by now discarded and disdained by one and all , have however asked for a parliamentary debate tomorrow opposing these most welcome and salutary changes. Their attitude is of course understandable because like everybody else had understood their double tongued nature and multi faced hypocrisy they have themselves understood deep within their bones that they have no place in the sun unless they continue to resort to their clownish pranks which they used all these years to beguile the people and voters, simply and only to please the dejected and rejected MaRa who is presently under the spell of the curse of his shawls which same curse he used to devastate the country and the people before he and his so called dynasty were thrown out lock ,stock and barrel by the people themselves recently via elections.
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by (2015-02-03 15:01:38)
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