International Commission of Jurists deplores the attack on the Secretary of the Judicial Services Commission
Tamil Guardian 11 October 2012
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemned the attack on Sri Lanka’s Secretary of the Judicial Services Commission, describing it as, “ another terrible step downward in the on going effort to undermine judiciary and the rule of law in Sri Lanka.”
Imploring the Sri Lankan government to act promptly on the incident, ICJ’s Asia director, Sam Zarifi, said,
“The Sri Lankan government has to investigate this event and bring perpetrators to justice, and ensure that the country’s judges are secure from assault and intimidation.”
After disrepute between the President and the JSC, state controlled print and electronic media engaged in a public campaign to slander the JSC.
Consequently, the JSC released a public statement criticising the Sri Lankan state, whilst indicating that JSC members had been subject to threats and intimidation.
Expressing deep concerns about the Sri Lankan state’s regard towards impartiality and independence, Zarifi added,
“The effort to use State-controlled media to browbeat and intimidate judges is an egregious assault on the independence and impartiality of Sri Lanka’s judiciary. An independent judiciary is a necessary precondition to safeguard human rights.”
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Originally published on OpenDemocracy.net/OpenSecurity on 20th May 2013:
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