UGC Acts To Ban Academics From Legal Practice After Questioning By The Army RTI Finds 

Dr. Guruparan Kumaravadivel

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

Social media has erupted with anger over disclosures this week that Sri Lanka’s University Grants Commission (UGC) had based its decision to ban a legal academic attached to the Department of Law, University of Jaffna from engaging in legal practice following questions raised by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) as to the fact that he was appearing for petitioners in habeas corpus applications in the North.

The letter sent by the SLA to the UGC seeking the details of Dr. Kumaravadivel Guruparan was sought to be obtained by him from the UGC through an information request filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The Colombo Telegraph wa informed that the UGC had released minutes of  the board meetings at which the decision to impose the ban had been taken. However the letter sent to the UGC by the SLA which was an annexure to the minutes was withheld on the basis that it was confidential information and that when permission had been asked by the UGC from the SLA to release, that permission was refused. 

Guruparan thereafter appealed to the Right to Information Commission which, on 21st January 2020, reversed the UGC decision, ordered the release of the letter, after calling for it and examining its contents. The Commission had pointed out that the letter sent by the SLA to the UGC had merely asked as to whether the academic was employed by the University, if he had been permitted to practice and if so, the basis on which that permission had been given. Such a document with a routine request cannot be considered as coming within the definition of confidential information whether it emanates from the Army or not in terms of the RTI Act, the Commission  had said during the hearing, Colombo Telegraph learns.   

Following the Commission Order, the UGC released the letter this week which was widely carried in social media sparking debates over whether academics should be allowed to appear in court. 

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