A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Tuesday, June 20, 2017
HRCSL: Foreign judges will enhance confidence in war crimes probe
By Shamindra Ferdinando-June 19, 2017, 11:05 pm
The government had agreed to the participation of foreign judges in a
war crimes probe in accordance with Oct 1, 2015 Resolution moved at the
Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Human Rights
Commissioner Ambika Satkunanathan says.
She said so participating in a TV 1 programme yesterday. Asked by host
Faraz Shauketaly to comment on foreign judges in proposed war crimes
courts, Satkunanathan said: "it is something the government has agreed
to as part of the HRC Resolution."
Sri Lanka last March reiterated her commitment to 2015 Resolution. Sri Lanka co-sponsored both Resolutions.
Commenting on reports that foreign judges were required as local judiciary lacked experience to handle such cases,
Satkunanathan said: "I think if you look at the Resolution that was
passed, I think it said with the participation of foreign judges
including those from the Commonwealth."
Satkunanathan said that the term participation could be interpreted in many ways.
The HRCSL official said that judges from other jurisdictions had to be
included in a judicial mechanism if the public for whatever the reasons
didn’t have confidence in structures as well as processes in their own
country. Such measures were needed to boost public confidence,
Satkunanathan said.
The government appointed Manouri Muttetuwegama Committee in January this
year recommended foreign judges as well as other foreign experts in
local mechanism.
"If you talk about issues in relation to international criminal law, you
may not have adequate number of personnel with required expertise,"
Satkunanathan said. The inclusion of personnel from other jurisdictions
could enhance confidence and secure public support on the basis the
process was strengthened by foreign presence as well as under scrutiny
by them.
The official denied the claim that the HRCSL was in the habit of taking
‘directives’ from the UNHRC. She insisted that the HRCSL followed
international human rights standards and it wouldn’t be right to assert
HRCSL received instructions from Geneva or New York.