Impeachment of a Chief Justice.
Posted on November 8th, 2012
By Charles.S.Perera
There is an avalanche of articles, reports , editorialsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by those have been scandalised by the GovernmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s decision to impeachƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Chief Justice.
Harim Pieries writes in the IslandƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of 8 November,2012 as follows: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.However, the Rajapaksa regime should well consider that its track record and practice of fighting with friends and falling out with those in the higher echelons of the state structure is not conducive to either good governance or the long term political interests of the Administration itselfƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦..ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
The Island news paper putsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Army Commander and Chief Justice on the same footing. and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ writes in its Editorial: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦They are striving to do to her what they did to Gen. Sarath Fonseka, whom they once called the best army commander in the world but unflinchingly vilified as a traitor when his presidential ambitions became known and he fell from graceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦…ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
Elmore Perera Attorney at Law writes: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.I well remember the hue and cry made by many lawyers when she was appointed to the Supreme Court, in 1997. By then I was already disillusionedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by the arrogant attitude displayed by many Judges when dealing with litigants and their counsel. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦… She has since displayed an exemplary judicial temperament and I have never seen or even heard of reports of her being deliberately rude or unfair. She has now reached the pinnacle of the judicial branch of the stateƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦..ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
Gomin Dayasiri Says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.Justices are presumed to maintain higher standards in propriety since they hold the legal scales to distinguish the good from the badƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦..ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
And the Association ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ High Court JudgesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and others say , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Civil society must gear itself to ensuring that justice is done to their Chief Justice. If justice is denied to her, Sri Lanka is in for turbulent times leading to anarchy. We can no longer go about our own business expecting that someone else will be the target.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
Karu Jayasuriya dissappointed UNP MP , told the media that, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-.. the government has posed a great threat to judicial independence and there won’t be democracy in the absence of an independent judiciaryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
With regard to the matters relating to Tax evasion and other irregularities included in the impeachment motion against the CJ had not obviously been known to the President when Shirani Bandaranaike was appointed to the High Position. There is no screeningƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a CJ because normally one is selected from among the Judicial luminaries spotlessly clean and without reproach.
Therefore ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the President cannot now be found faultƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with for her appointment.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Gomin Dayasiri a prominent lawyer ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ himself admits she was a good judge.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ She may not have known ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that her husbandƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s activities would have led him to be accused for bribery and corruption, in which case there was no ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ conflict of interest ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ for ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Shirani Bandaranaike to continuing as the CJ.
But when charges of bribery and corruption was made against her husbandƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ she should have resigned from her high position as the CJ to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ avoid a conflict of interest.
Unfortunately in Sri Lanka which is coming up from a developing country status to be an Upper Middle Income Country, there are many ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ anti Sri Lanka forces all out to push it down the precipice to where it had been before. In that effort everything is seen in a negative light by the local opposition and the foreign enemies of the Nation. One cannot understand why everybody should not put their ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ shoulders to the wheels to push forward the country towards development and progress without each one hanging on watching for ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ political fall outs for their benefit without thinking of the country and the people at large;
Elimination of a ruthless terrorism has received no applause but rampant accusations for violation of human rights, war crimes, disappearances . The assassination ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and disappearances of journalists have led Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to beƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ called a nation without press freedom. The ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ pushing ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ forward with progressive laws to make Sri Lanka a ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ poverty free developed nation has brought accusation ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ interfering into the independence of judiciary.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When the remaining last batch of IDPs fromƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ more than3000000 were finally settled and Menik Farm was closedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the International Community questioned why was that haste to close the Menik Farm, while the local opposition accused that the last batch of IDPs ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ said to have been settled down wereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ sleeping in the forest and under trees.
Now, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ when a Judge has been impeached they howl as it is something that has been invented by the President Rajapakse and his family toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ take revenge from the CJ for not making a favourable judicial decisionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ on ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a Bill that was really not meant for the welfare of the Rajapakse family but to ameliorate theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ living condition of the people and eliminate as far as possible poverty in Sri Lanka.
Impeachments of judges are not undemocratic and it is not theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ first time that it has happenedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in Sri Lanka nor is it without precedents in other foreign governments .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Hence it is difficult to understand the wrath from many quarters locally and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ from abroad. Most of those complaining that the Government is actingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ unconstitutionally assume the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ cause to be the President Rajapakse Government and Rajapakse Family.
In USA beginning from 10 May; 1796 when Judge George Turner was impeachedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ for briberyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and levy of finesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ without trial , seventy one cases of impeachment areƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ sited in Wikipedia, until the last Judge Samuel Kent ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ was impeached on 11 May, 2009 for sexual abuse. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- In Great Britain conviction on an impeachment has resulted in fine and imprisonment, and even in execution, whereas in the United States the penalties extend no further than removal and disqualification from office.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
Therefore an Impeachment is normal procedure when a Judge appears to haveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ contravened the law. The fact that the CJ was appointed by the same government that impeachesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the CJ is an irrelevant argument . In any case the charges have to be proved for the impeachment to take effect.
When will the Sri Lankans rise above political prejudices to understand that actions progressive and beneficial ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to the country should be taken even if they seem unpalatable to those who sees an opening to make it an occasionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to make political mileage from it.
When Divineguma BillƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ proposed ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by the government shows an underlying effortƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of interest for the development of the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ country one has to defend it, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ without accusing others who defend such effortƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ areƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ motivated by political or personal reasons.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is only the educated intelligentsia that is prepared to manifest and demonstrate against the Government for personal reasons than for the benefit of the people and the Country.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A good example is ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ FUTA that went on strike for three months and profited in collecting moneyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ from even the Mercantile Union of Bala TampoeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ now preparing for another strike on flimsy grounds as they have to do some thing to justify their collecting funds from anti Government forces.
JVP which has lost all its political honesty, and lost its support from the people are trying to hang on to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ any straw,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ even the Impeachment Motion to avoid sinking into a political morass.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ So is UNP which has nominated two vociferous UNP MPS who do not know what they are talking most of the time to the PSC.
The Colombo Telegraph reports that:
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-An interesting constitutional issue has arisen consequent to the determination of the Supreme Court in the matter of the Divineguma Bill. The Supreme Court has ruled that as the Northern Provincial Council has not been constituted, it was not possible for the Bill to have been sent to the Northern Provincial Council for the expression of its views. However, the Court has also ruled that the Governor of the Northern Province could not have expressed a view on behalf of the Northern Provincial Council. As such, the Court has determined that the Bill must be proceeded with on the basis that the Northern Provincial Council has not agreed to the passing of the Bill.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
But the Article 154G((3) of the constitution does notƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ bar the Supreme Court taking a judicial decision in favour of the said Bill ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as itƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ had been accepted by eight of the nine Provincial Councils. In the North there is no Provincial Council as there had been no elections, but the Administration in the North is nevertheless functioning until the establishment of a Provincial Council with a Governor having the authority for the AdministrationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of the North.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore the GovernorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Signature is legally accepted for any matterƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which would have come under a Provincial Council if one was there.
If the SC refuses to accept the signature of the Governor it means all acts, letters, and documents signed by the Governor in the North PC are ultra vires.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This cannot be so as the Governor has ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ been given the authority by the Government to actƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ taking responsibility for the Administration of the North untilƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a Provincial Council in the North is established.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ IfƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Administration has to be stopped in the North for want of a PC then every thing would be chaotic. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore a democratic method has to be found to allow Northern Administration to function so thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the people in the North areƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ given the same rights and benefits as the people of the rest of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ country underƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Provincial Councils.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The democratic method is empowering a Governor to Administer the North in the absence of a PC.
Hence, the SC decision on the matter seems incorrect ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as she did not accept the authority of the Governor over the North Provincial Council Area, denying the people of the whole of Sri Lanka the benefits to be accrued from the Divineguma Bill.
November 8th, 2012 at 6:01 pm
Good point.
The solution – SCRAP 13 amendment. 13 amendment created this division.
If not for the 13 amendment, northern people will also be entitled to Divineguma benefits!!
So now you can see 13 amendment is NOT a solution but a problem.
November 8th, 2012 at 7:10 pm
LORENZO !! Charles has given many moot points on the legal aspects of this drama. NFL and Jhu are in the Vanguard of ridding the 13th DOOM. Possibly it is this that created the variance between the Legislature and the Judiciary. Things have to be sorted one by one, and what is foremost on the agenda is the Impeachment, which has to be over with, whatever the consequences be, Next the 13th doom has to be bulldozed with all the collective legal venom. Let us wait for the first results of the impeachment. Peoples thoughts are going at a tangent.
November 8th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
This impeachement already killed the urgency for buring of 13A. In addition, revoking of 13A will further be delayed.
Maharaja will never revoke 13A if things proceed this way whaever we shout loud and clear.
November 8th, 2012 at 8:27 pm
This debacle is a creation of the President. He appoints people to high positions of poor quality and the country has to bear the costs. The debacles in the petroleum corp where the country has lost billions of `dollars, The CEB, to mention a few. With regards to the CJ at least until the hearing condemns her we have to hold our horses. The rest of these public servants are not even investigated. An ordinary person cannot get justice from any public service because of inefficiency of political appointees.and corruption. From Hospitals to Education the country is going from bad to worse. Unfortunately the finger has to be pointed at the president for the failure of the govt. The only thing he has been successful is buying power by enlarging the cabinet and enticing the opposition MPs and looking the other way when corruption is exposed.
November 8th, 2012 at 8:28 pm
What warped reasoning! “The DEMOCRATIC method is to empower a Govenor to Administer the north in the absence
of a PC.” This is the CRUX of the Supreme Courts ruling! How can a unelected Military Governor imposed on the people
of the north be considered Democratic? Whatever the benefits of the Divinugema Bill, the Govermebnment has to first
untangle this tricky knot, rather than find a scapegoat for is failure to get this bill acceped by the people of the north.
November 8th, 2012 at 8:42 pm
Colomba Kaakka,
“How can a unelected Military Governor imposed on the people of the north be considered Democratic ?”
Only reason I can think of is , “because people of the north proved in the last 50 years that they cannot be ruled by democratic means”.
But I agree with you that before all 13A should be burned ( together with Indian flag), if you meant that by your last sentence.
November 8th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
nandimitra,
President should have been knwon her well since he also appinted her thief husband to high positions he does not deserve.
(Moderator’s Note; Dham don’t try to use this website for your party politics and government bashing. There is no point of writing corruption, corruption ever time if you don’t have evidence to share them with others and be specific, if you are not careful, we may have to moderate your comments)
November 9th, 2012 at 3:32 am
This is DEFINITELY the start of SCRAPPING 13 amendment.
Already a parliamentary select committee has been set up. The SAME PSC can be used to SCRAP 13 amendment matter.
So we are moving forward. Have some patience. We will nail these 2 evils.
November 9th, 2012 at 4:22 am
“DNA MP Arjuna Ranatunga has resigned as the Deputy Leader of the Democratic National Party (DNP). MP Tiran Alles has also confirmed his resignation as Secretary of Sarath Fonseka’s party.”
– Adaderana
Looks like the 2 are going to join the impeachment!!
November 9th, 2012 at 4:31 am
WELL DONE WHOEVER DID THIS!!
“[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 November 2012, 23:41 GMT]
Nadarajah Mathinthiran alias Parithi, an ex-LTTE commander who had left the movement in the early 90’s and later coordinated Tamil organisational political activities in France since 2003, has been assassinated Thursday evening outside the office of the Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC) in Paris, news sources in France said.
Mr Mathinthiran was shot at least three times when he was leaving the office of the TCC around 9:00 p.m. at Pyranees in Paris 20.
The assassination has come at a time when Tamil groups in Paris were shedding away their internal differences of opinion, diaspora Tamil activists said, passing the entire blame of the assassination on the Sri Lankan military establishment.
Mathinthiran was given with the nom de guerre, Reagon, when he joined the LTTE in 1983. He received his military training in the 2nd batch of the LTTE’s training programme provided by India. Some of his batch mates in the training camp in India were Kumarappa, Bhanu, Ranjan Lala and Vasu, confirmed an ex-LTTE member who also had received training in the same batch.”
November 9th, 2012 at 6:22 am
Dumping the blame game on the President won’t do any good. He has had to work with questionable available manpower. Remember that it was the EXPERIENCED other side that got the country into an unholy mess.
Take the case of Mervyn Silva. He has been given the role of Minister for Public Relations, and has latterly doing an acceptable job. It is similar with all the others who have been “miss-appointed”. It is a case of REFORMING the inexperienced/maladjusted/neglected/individuals/”bottom layers”, and giving them a chance to reform and perform (KP, Karuna, etc). Please remember that we are all in a period of TRANSITION in society in Sri Lanka, going toward a more democratic and equitable reformation. The bottom layers are getting pulled upward and exposed, reformed if possible, and buoyed upward.
That is what Democracy is all about, isn’t it ?
Prez is carrying out a social experiment. See it for what it is worth. If it doesn’t work, it will be discarded.
November 9th, 2012 at 6:25 am
correction : ” … and has latterly been doing an acceptable job”.
November 9th, 2012 at 7:56 am
Fran Diaz,
It is beautiful the way you have put it.
” Please remember that we are all in a period of TRANSITION in society in Sri Lanka, going toward a more democratic and equitable reformation. The bottom layers are getting pulled upward and exposed, reformed if possible, and buoyed upward.
That is what Democracy is all about, isn’t it ?”
November 9th, 2012 at 8:07 am
Dear Charles,
Thank you for appreciative words.
I found your article here most inspiring, a quest for what is True. Thank you so much for your untiring efforts for justice & truth. These articles, and those written by others in the same quest for truth & justice, are like a breath of fresh air in pollution, or like rose petals in the muddied waters of society.
November 9th, 2012 at 8:10 am
In the following report,of the Colombo telegraph, if we were to accept it as a correct, interpretation, there is a contradiction in its last sentence.
“An interesting constitutional issue has arisen consequent to the determination of the Supreme Court in the matter of the Divineguma Bill. The Supreme Court has ruled that as the Northern Provincial Council has not been constituted, it was not possible for the Bill to have been sent to the Northern Provincial Council for the expression of its views. However, the Court has also ruled that the Governor of the Northern Province could not have expressed a view on behalf of the Northern Provincial Council. As such, the Court has determined that the Bill must be proceeded with on the basis that the Northern Provincial Council has not agreed to the passing of the Bill.”
The last sentence reads: “As such, the Court has determined that the Bill must be proceeded with on the basis that the Northern Provincial Council has not agreed to the passing of the Bill.” In stating that ” the Bill must be proceeded with on the basis that the Northern Provincial Council has not agreed to the passing of the Bill”, the Supreme Court presumes the existence of the Northern Provincial Council.
If so why the negative presumption ? Why not ” proceed on the basis that the Northern Provincial Council has agreed to the passing of the Bill.”
November 9th, 2012 at 11:35 am
Unless real REFORMATION happens, Sri Lanka will forever witness insurgencies & terrorism, and will be the playground for all sorts of divisive forces.
We will have to undergo a period of, I repeat, TRANSITION, where some social strata re-arranging/reshuffling will have to happen. We will have to go on the truism that another persons innocent happiness will not diminish mine, but will enhance my happiness.
To this end, the various NEW transforming and empowering measures that will empower the masses must be seen by the SC&CJ in that spirit, in which spirit all Constitutions in any Democracy are written. When in doubt about Constitutional laws, refer to the spirit in which the Constitution is written and Reforms will flow and flower naturally, bringing benefits to all in the land.
Wouldn’t we all rather see the smiling face of a villager rather than have a terrorist come out of there ?
We have had some 500 yrs of Colonial rule and insurgencies (JVP) in the 1970 & 1980s, plus some 30 yrs of terrorism (ltte). Want more of the same ? or HELP & TRANSFORM those who are in wanting ? The choice is ours. Choose wisely for a united Sri Lanka, choose that we remain a unitary state, choose upliftment, happiness, and good health for all.
November 9th, 2012 at 1:51 pm
Couldn’t agree more with Charles and Fran.
November 9th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
I too agree with Charles and Fran.
Please read what the President said in parliament about SCRAPPING PCs. It is in the Hindu article which is appearing in today’s Lankaweb.
But the 13 amendment should be SCRAPPED IN FULL.
BEAUTIFUL!
My faith in the President has been reconfirmed.
We need NON EXPENSIVE NATIONAL standards in provinces if we are to give everyone equal rights and opportunities.
November 10th, 2012 at 12:10 pm
Lorenzo, we all have a love / hate relationship with MR, we have to wait and see when he nullify 13th A waht next? He must put a select committee like the one he has for 13A, for the THUN RATA KRAMAYA. Will India allow it? What deals he did with Hanuman Singh on his recent visit MUST be squeezed out of him. You and I cannot do that!
November 10th, 2012 at 1:55 pm
Kit,
There is no need to talk about ANY sort od seperation. Enough is enough.
Why need a TUN rata Karumaya when whole country suffering from politikko karumaya ?
November 10th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Moderator,
“your party politics ” is the wrong words – I don’t have one, I am for governance without parties. No party has done a service to our country, only few leaders and their brilliance.
“government bashing” – yes I accept that I am doing it inadvertently. It is the pressure on government will get them to work.