Withdraw The Impeachment Against CJ – The Bar Association Of Jaffna

By Colombo Telegraph -December 3, 2012

The Bar Association of Jaffna call upon the Members of Parliament who were signatories to the impeachment motion to consider withdrawing the motion of impeachment against the Chief Justice.

Chief Justice Bandaranayake

The Bar Association of Jaffna passed a resolution at a meeting held on the 28^th of November 2012 with regard to the Motion of impeachment against the Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake.

We below publish the full text of the resolution;

Resolution passed by Attorneys-at-Law practicing in the Jaffna Peninsula present at a meeting held on the 28^th of November 2012 with regard to the Motion of impeachment against Her Ladyship the Chief Justice.

Noting with grave concern that the impeachment proceedings initiated against Her Ladyship the Chief Justice would inevitably lead to an irreparable loss of confidence and public respect of the judicial system as a whole which in turn would further deteriorate the state of governance of the country,

Noting in particular as lawyers from the North and East of Sri Lanka the importance of ensuring stability in the administration of justice as such stability is quintessential to the restoration of normalcy in the North and East of Sri Lanka and noting that the motion against Her Ladyship the Chief Justice is a threat to the smooth functioning and administration of justice to the whole of the country,

Noting with concern the lack of comity on the part of the Parliamentary Select Committee in rejecting the request of Honourable Supreme Court to stay proceedings until the hearing and conclusion of a case on matter relating to the interpretation of the constitution relating to the impeachment of the Chief Justice,

Express their solidarity with her Ladyship the Chief Justice during this darkest hour of assault the independence of the judiciary and call upon the Honourable Members of Parliament who were signatories to the impeachment motion to consider withdrawing the motion of impeachment against Her Ladyship the Chief Justice.

And seek to inform the Chairman of the Parliamentry Select Committee that the Jaffna Bar Association, if invited is prepared to make submission on all of the above issues raised above.

Ms S. Abimanasingham P.C.

Zonal Vice- President (North), BASL

Read the original resolution here