SLPP: One Year of Non Governance
As the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is reaching its first year of governance, which some may call non governance, the question that may be in the minds of many is where…
Author: Basil Fernando
A Cruel Government Supports Torture by Opposing Preventive Law
An amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure allowing the Magistrates to visit places of detention has been turned into a political issue by a section of the government and by some…
Release of a Convicted Murderer Raises Fundamental Questions
The release of the convicted murderer Duminda Silva is a reckless act that will have lasting consequences on the social organization of Sri Lanka and the social consciousness of the Sri Lankan…
Office on Missing Persons and the Zero Policy on Justice
One of the issues that demonstrated the approach of the Sri Lankan authorities to the problem of enforced disappearances can be discovered in a study of the narrative of the Office on…
Won the “War” but Lost the Law
Calling a civil conflict or a civil war, a war itself, is very misleading. Wars are fought with external enemies. However, civil conflict or a civil war is a fight that takes…
A Big Lie: The Promise of Justice for Easter Sunday Attacks
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith presided over the April 21 commemoration with the participation of other religious leaders. Talking about the issue he has said that the problem is not just about Catholics, but…
Rule By Gazettes Leads to Impoverishment and Insecurity
It is not for fun that the Government established processes for taking decisions and implementing them. It is the age old wisdom gained through various experiences throughout history that led to the…
UNHRC Resolution: A Ray of Hope for Sri Lanka
The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution “Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka” was adopted with 22 members of the council voting in favour of the resolution, 11 members…
Tackling Police Torture Through A New Law
A Gazette notification was published on March 5 announcing proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code. It creates the obligation for all magistrates in the country to visit police stations situated within…
UNHRC’s Ominous Warning
At its 46th sessions, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) will be debating the resolution on Sri Lanka that has many observations and recommendations. The recommendations made will pose a number of…
Does This Sound Familiar? Becoming Myanmar
The recent coup in Myanmar has created an interest in looking into the impact of military rule that began with the 1962 coup and continued up to 2011. Burma (now Myanmar) was…
The Descent Into a Kafkaesque World
Sri Lanka will celebrate its 73rd independence anniversary on February 4 but for many years now, the day has become one to recount failures and the loss of achievements made during the…
A Submission on the Making of a New Constitution
This submission is made on the assumption that the attempt to make a new constitution is an act done in good faith, motivated solely by the attempt to address what has gone…
A Criminal Justice System in Crisis
A constitutional crisis is not just a matter relating to a legal text. It influences all aspects of life and, in particular, the working of public institutions. The Prison Study carried out…
Correct Messaging is Vital to Fight Covid-19
The sudden rise in the number of cases of Covid-19 has caused serious community concerns. Given the devastation that is being caused by the dangerous pandemic, prevention requires even more than eternal…