Colombo High Court Judge Adithya Patabendige ordered a five-year suspension of an attorney’s legal license following an investigation prompted by a complaint filed by the judge himself. According to the complaint, the attorney, who had been appointed by the government to represent a defendant in a criminal case before the Colombo High Court, failed to appear in court for three consecutive days.
During the hearing, the attorney admitted to the charges. Subsequently, Supreme Court Judge S. Thurairaja, along with Justices Mahinda Samayawardhana and Arjuna Obeysekara, announced the decision, stating that the attorney’s actions were in violation of professional ethics. However, taking into consideration his early admission of guilt and his age, the panel of judges opted to suspend his legal license for five years.
