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…
Author: Basil Fernando
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…
When Authoritarianism Causes a Crisis of Governance
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, drew the attention of the world to the situation in Sri Lanka on 14 September, 2020 stating, “I encourage the Council to…