The serious collapse of the rule of law in Sri Lanka is accompanied by the collapse of the policing system, the degeneration of the prosecuting system under the Attorney General’s Department and the problems of the judicial system. The first two statements of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) have already pointed out some of these problems.
Dealing with these problems will require extensive knowledge of these problems. Confining recommendations for change made either by local sources or international sources will be of little use if they are too general. Detailed studies are needed which would result in very specific recommendations. To assist in this discussion we have put together a list of web references.
You will find below references to important documents on police, prosecution and the judicial system in Sri Lanka, which you may find in the internet.
We hope that this will serve as an easy source of reference for those who have an interest and a concern on these matters.
Police:
It is commonly acknowledged today that the policing system has become dysfunctional in Sri Lanka. The following documents will provide details on the policing system, the problems besetting this system and suggested reforms.
Public views on the collapse of the system:
Please refer to the front page lead article of the Sunday Times for the following article discussing a public review of the police http://www.sundaytimes.lk/070617/FinancialTimes/ft301.html
A booklet on the Delgoda Family Massacre and confronting lawlessness:
Link: http://www.ahrchk.net/pub/mainfile.php/delgoda/
The police/criminal nexus:
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2004statement/225/
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2004statement/229/
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2004statement/240/
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2006statements/509/
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2007statements/943/
Police torture and the defects of the system:
Article 2, Vol. 1. No. 4 This report consists of 76 pages documents 30 cases of torture and analyses the causes. http://www.article2.org/mainfile.php/0104/
Article 2 Vol 3. No. 1. This report consists of 104 pages gives 31 cases of torture and also analyses the causes. http://www.article2.org/mainfile.php/0301/
A Report to the United Nations Committee against Torture:
This report consists of 44 pages, documents various cases and lengthily analyses the failure of the policing system and may be found in Article 2 vol. 6 No. 2. The report consists of several articles analyzing the dysfunctional policing system and its effects of the justice system in Sri Lanka: http://www.article2.org/pdf/v06n02.pdf
Prosecutions:
Attorney General’s Department Please refer to the following links which relate to the two statements made by the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) which we have reproduced in full:
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2007statements/1056/
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2007statements/1065/
SRI LANKA: A much compromised Attorney General’s Department contributes to undermining of rule of law and democracy – http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2007statements/1059/
And also: – SRI LANKA: The Attorney General being part of the Presidential entourage needs to be questioned by legislators – http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2007statements/1061/
Judiciary
Transparency International Global Report for 2007 on judicial corruption: The section on judicial corruption: http://material.ahrchk.net/docs/corruption_report_TI_SL.pdf
Articles by Kishali Pinto Jayawardene:
Articles on the abandonment of the implementation of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution:
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2006statements/417/
The Supreme Court judgment in the case of Nallaratnam Sinharasa may be found at:
http://www.alrc.net/doc/mainfile.php/un_cases/423/
Further information with regard to the 17th Amendment to the Constitution may be found at:
http://www.alrc.net/doc/mainfile.php/spdoc/
Other articles and statement by Kishali Pinto Jayawardene.
http://www.alrc.net/doc/mainfile.php/documents/426/
UN Human Rights Committee cases regarding Sri Lanka:
Asian Legal Resource Centre link: http://www.alrc.net/doc/mainfile.php/un_cases/
