Judicial system

The Lawyers Collective learns that Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake has been summoned to appear before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (Bribery Commission), on 18th March 2013. Under the prevailing situation where politicization of all public institutions at all levels is prevalent, we are of the considered view that the government has […]

A group of hundreds of relatives of the disappeared from Mannar and Vavuniya were to arrive on the 5th night in Colombo by buses to share with the people in the South their pathetic stories about the disappearances of their loved ones during and after the war, and then to present a petition to the […]

A Golden Opportunity to abolish self-contradictory Franchise System and Restore true Justice and Democracy in Pakistan The world has strongly and repeatedly drawn the attention of Pakistan to its self-contradictory franchise system which denies the Ahmadi Muslims the fundamental right to vote.( Click here to read our previous statement on the issue) The Supreme Court of […]

The Office of UN Human Rights Council, Civil Society Section, Geneva. Switzerland Letter to the UNHRC in Support of North and East Christian Clergy Sri Lanka Dear Sir / Madam, We the undersigned individuals and groups vehemently support and endorse the views and demands, contained in the letter sent on 18th Feb. 2013 by 133 […]

The tribunal on war crimes established in March 2010 has pushed Bangladesh to extreme violence. Since 28 February, the events have taken a violent turn in which almost 100 persons including women, children and police officers have lost life. Several hundreds more are injured, and properties destroyed of which no body in the country has […]

NfR, a network of Sri Lankan journalists and human rights defenders, expresses its strongest indignation to the Government of Sri Lanka for its dastardly act of blocking Tamil civilians travelling to Colombo to demand justice for the disappeared. Police has used their trucks to block the buses they were travelling with. on 5th March 2013 […]

When a business school invites persons to attend one of its functions, that too expecting the person to deliver nothing less than the keynote address, it must be taking into account many factors. Elementary is the invitee’s credentials, and in the background of the sponsors, who contribute to organise the event. It appears that the […]

A court in Manipur yesterday has ordered the detention of Ms. Irom Sharmila Chanu, better known as the iron lady of Manipur. Detention is nothing new to this woman, most humble yet so bold, that she has so far successfully challenged the iron fist of the senselessness Indian state and its Manipuri counterpart, the Government […]

We reproduce below the press release issued by the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) on a report by Geoffrey Robertson QC on the impeachment of the Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayke. Press Release by the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) A report by Geoffrey Robertson QC published […]

The mass grave in Matale uncovered late last year and the ongoing demands for independent and credible investigations into the fate of disappeared persons during the last days of the fighting between government forces and the LTTE in 2009 have at their core, the common element of impunity and a common cry for justice. Pitiful […]

(London) – Sri Lankan security forces have been using rape and other forms of sexual violence to torture suspected members or supporters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. While widespread rape in custody occurred during the armed conflict that ended in May 2009, Human […]

Sri Lanka is now before the United Nations Human Rights Council at a time when the Council is to discuss in what ways Sri Lanka can improve the human rights situation of its people. The overall mind set with which the government is approaching the Council can be summed up with the phrase, “Catch us […]

[RE: AHRC-HAC-004-2013: PHILIPPINES: Vendors face forced eviction and food insecurity] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information Defend Job Philippines about the eviction of vendors of the Luneta Park. The National Parks Development Committee evicted the vendors from their livelihood places inside Luneta Park on 27 February, 2013 despite the protest […]

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Dr.Shirani Bandaranayake who is regarded as the De-jure Chief Justice of Sri Lanka despite being “removed” from Office by President Mahinda Rajapaksa after what seemed like a “witch trial” was conducted by seven Government parliamentarians of an eleven member Parliamentary select Committee is being kept under Strict surveillance by “Officially” sanctioned Police acting […]

Dear All This press release has been issued by the Lawyers Collective today and Sinhala and Tamil releases will be issued in due course. For your information, circulation and publication. Lawyers Collective —————————- 26 February 2013 Lawyer’s Collective Wants Harassment of Lawyers Immediately Stopped! Lawyers’ Collective has been following the incidents of harassment and threats […]

เผยแพร่วันที่ 20 กุมภาพันธ์ 2556 ใบแจ้งข่าว การจัดสัมมนาเรื่อง ปีที่ 10 กฎอัยการศึก และการก่อความไม่สงบ: ยุทธ์ศาสตร์ภาคประชาชน สิทธิมนุษยชน ความยุติธรรม และการเปลี่ยนผ่านความขัดแย้งสู่สันติภาพ เนื่องด้วยมูลนิธิผสานวัฒนธรรม และมูลนิธิศูนย์ทนายความมุสลิม โดยการสนับสนุนของกองทุน แคนาดา จะจัดให้มีการสัมมนาเรื่อง ปีที่ 10 กฎอัยการศึก และการก่อความไม่สงบ: ยุทธศาสตร์ด้านส่งเสริมประชาธิปไตย สิทธิมนุษยชน ความยุติธรรมและการเปลี่ยนผ่านความขัดแย้งสู่สันติภาพ ในวันที่ 27 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2556 ณ ห้องประชุม NERO ชั้น 3 โรงแรมบางกอกชฎา ถนนรัชดาภิเษก กรุงเทพฯ เวลา 9:00-16.30 น. การสัมมนาครั้งนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อสะท้อนให้เห็นสถานการณ์ความไม่สงบในจังหวัดชายแดนใต้ นับ แต่เหตุการณ์ในปี พ.ศ. 2547 ถึงปัจจุบัน เป็นปีที่ 10 ที่ได้มีการประกาศใช้กฎอัยการศึกและกฎหมายพิเศษด้านความมั่นคงอีก 2 ฉบับ ซึ่งมาตรการของฝ่ายบริหารในการแก้ไขปัญหาความไม่สงบอย่างต่อเนื่อง แต่สถานการณ์ความรุนแรงยังไม่มีแนวโน้มที่จะยุติได้ในเร็ววัน […]

For immediate release on 20 February 2013 Press Release Public Seminar: “10th year of Martial Law and the insurgency:Democracy, human rights & conflict transformation in the Deep South” Wednesday 27 February 2013 (9.00-16.30) NERO  Room, 3rd Floor, Bangkok Chada Hotel, Concept Note The continuing unrest in the Deep South of Thailand has now entered its […]

Bijo Francis* Overcoming initial reluctance, the Maharashtra state police have finally registered a case in the infamous Bhandara rape and murder incident. This is a case, not much discussed in India, other than for sparse reporting in a few Indian dailies, of the rape murder of three sisters, all minors. Missing of three miserable village […]

Mangala Samy Pungonda, the mother of Wengadasalam Sudeshkar yesterday, February 19, appealed for the final sum of Rs. 600,000/= (approximately US$ 5,000) for the saving of her son’s life from execution in Doha, Qatar. She thanked those who have already contributed to the raising of the sum of Rs. 3.5 Million and said that about […]

The Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court has claimed that 1,500 missing persons were recovered and sent home as a result of the steps taken by the judiciary while a further 1,000 missing persons had been traced and were found to be in the custody of the security forces. They can now meet with […]