A video presentation produced by the Asian Human Rights Commission
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) held its annual Convocation to welcome its newly elected president on March 30, 2013. This was after an election at which the BASL members overwhelmingly voted for Mr Upul Jayasooriya as their president. The voting seemed to reflect a strong reaction on the part of the lawyers from around the country against the impeachment of the Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayke. In his inaugural address Mr Jayasooriya spoke of the serious threats that the independence of the judiciary and legal profession are faced with in Sri Lanka.
The guest speaker at the meeting was the former Supreme Court judge, Justice C.V. Wigneswaram. In his speech he pointed out the crisis of the legitimacy that affects the Sri Lankan legal system due to the failure to respect and implement two judgements from the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka relating to the illegality of the procedure adopted for the removal of the Chief Justice.
These two speeches and several other events of the Convocation are now available on YouTube. You may view these speeches here.
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