De Facto CJ Mohan Pieris Exposes His Bias At Kotelawela Defence Academy

February 1, 2014

De facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris has exposed his partisan agenda clearly during a speech at the Kotelawela Defence Academy last year, identifying himself with the policy and planning of the RajapaksaAdministration and claiming that it was universally agreed that the doctrine of separation of powers implies no absolute distinction between the three branches of Government – the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.

De facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris

“Good Governance and the Rule of law are very nice words, but I am not quite sure that it is found anywhere in the world,” Peiris quipped at the beginning of his address.

“Sri Lanka is doing everything in the book to ensure the rule of law and good governance, except that no amount of Governance and no amount of compliance appears to satisfy the so-called international community. So don’t worry about it. We are doing our best, you are doing your best and I am sure we will soon become the Ascharya of Asia,” he said, in a strange imitation of the rhetoric employed by the executive arm of the Government.

Peiris said judges sometimes think that sustainable development and peace and governance are things for the Government. We tell ourselves that we are some God given gifts to mankind, who are in ivory towers who can detach ourselves so badly that we lose the connection,” he explained.

Peiris repeatedly notes in his speech that it is also the role and duty of the judiciary to ensure  Sri Lanka lives up to the ideal of becoming the Miracle of Asia, a catchphase often touted by the Rajapaksa regime’s elites.  Peiris, who heads the judiciary following the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake appears to believe that judges should be less concerned with rule of law and good governance than sustainable development and peace and implies that he and the executive branch of Government are one and the same, constantly referring to himself and the rulers as “we”.

Following is the full video;