AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE RIGHT OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION; TO SPECIFY GROUNDS ON WHICH ACCESS MAY BE DENIED; TO ESTABLISH THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION COMMISSION; TO APPOINT INFORMATION OFFICERS; TO SET OUT THE PROCEDURE AND FOR MATTERS CONNECTED THEREWITH OR INCIDENTAL THERETO. WHEREAS the Constitution guarantees the right of access to information in Article 14A thereof and there exists a need to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public authorities by giving effect to the right of access to information and thereby promote a society in…
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Police torture cases Sri Lanka 1998- 2011, Edited by Basil Fernando
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has compiled a report of 1500 cases of police torture in Sri Lanka between 1998 and 2011. This particular report summarizes 323 of the most serious cases of torture. The most notable finding of this report is that almost all of the victims whose cases were summarized were randomly selected by the police to be arrested and detained for a fabricated charge. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of the criminal justice system in Sri Lanka is the overwhelmingly large number of charges which are…
Read MoreLeelawathie Hariot Perera and others vs. N.K. Illangakoon, Inspector General of Police, and others SC /FR/ Application No 372/2015
As submitted on behalf of the Petitioners, one Rumesh Liroshan Fernando who was only 20 years at the time of his untimely demise, was a victim of a stabbing which took place on 24th October 2010. The victim had succumbed to his injuries at Kalubowila Hospital, and the Police Officers 3 who investigated into the death of the above named deceased, had reported the facts before the Hon. Magistrate of Moratuwa on 25.10.2010 under B Report No 1677/10. The 4th Respondent to the present application namely Widanalage Amesh Asantha de…
Read MoreNINETEENTH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION ( Sinhala, Tamil, English)
AN ACT TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA Be it enacted by the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka as follows:- read the full amendment in English read the full amendment in Sinhala read the full amendment in Tamil
Read MoreNaomi Michelle Cokeman vs The Hon. Attorney General Attorney General’s Department S.C (FR) Application 136/2014
On the day in question as pleaded Petitioner arrived in Sri Lanka at the Katunayake airport. All official steps as clearance from Customs AND Immigrations were attended and was permitted entry. She proceeded towards the exit of the airport. Petitioner was approached by a taxi driver called ‘Kelum’ who was later identified and another bystander informed her that the tattoo she was displaying on her right arm is objectionable in Sri Lanka. Thereafter another person claiming to be a member of the Civil Defence Force came to the scene and…
Read MoreJayantha Aberathna vs Chief Inspector B.W.C. Dharmaratna and others SC(FR) No. 222/2014
The Petitioner in this case complains that he was arrested on 21.06.2013 by the 1st Respondent who is the Officer-in-Charge of the Police Station, Teldeniya. He was later produced before the Magistrate, Teldeniya as a suspect for stealing eleven pieces of sandalwood from the Magistrate’s Court of Teldeniya. He was a Civil Security Guard attached to Teldeniya Police Station. The Petitioner further complains that after the arrest he was assaulted by the 1st Respondent. Petitioner tries to support the assault launched by the 1st Respondent by his wife’s affidavit marked…
Read MoreSWARNA MANJULA and NAWARATHNA HENALAGE ROSALIYA vs PUSHPAKUMARA and others S.C. F.R. No. 241/14
In their application to this Court, the petitioners allege that the 1st and 2nd respondents violated several of the petitioners‟ fundamental rights. The case urged by the petitioners and the positions taken in the 1st and 2nd respondents‟ affidavits and documents annexed thereto, all require careful scrutiny. Therefore, I will set out, in some detail, the petitioners‟ narrative of the alleged events upon which they base their application to this Court and the positions taken by the 1st and 2nd respondents in their affidavits and the contents of the documents…
Read MoreA collection of documents on THE IMPEACHMENT MOTION AGAINST SHIRANI BANDARANAYAKE Chief Justice Of Sri Lanka by Asian Human Rights Commission
To all persons whose support is solicited An impeachment motion has been filed by 117 Members of Parliament who are members of the ruling alliance against the Chief Justice, Mrs. Shirani Bandaranayake.The background to the filing was some judgements given by the Supreme Court bench of which the Chief Justice was the head declaring some bills submitted to them by the government were in conflict with the Constitution. These judgements have been seen by almost everyone as the reason behind the impeachment.The lawyers for the Chief Justice have already issued…
Read MoreRajapaksha Pathirage Justin Rajapaksha vs. Prasanna Rathnayake and other police officers SC/FR 689/2012
”The petitioner by this petition, inter alia, seeks a declaration to the effect that his fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 11,12,13(1) and 13(2) of the Constitution have been violated by the 1st to 5th and/or 6th and/or 8th Respondents. This court, by its order dated 12.2.2013, granted leave to proceed for alleged violations of Article 11 of the Constitution against 1st to 6th Respondents; for alleged violations of Article 13(1) and 13(2) of the Constitution against the 1st Respondent and for alleged violations of Article 12(1) of the Constitution against…
Read MoreSuppiah Sivakumar vs ergeant Jayaratne and others SC. FR. No. 56/2012
On 15th May 2011 around midnight, the Petitioner had been in the vicinity of the Bambaragala Junction with his wife and his daughter to watch Theru celebrations. Around 1. 30 am, a riot had broken out in the area and as the Petitioner made haste to take his wife and daughter to safety, he alleges that he was assaulted by the 1st to 3rd Respondents with a club. The Petitioner had also alleged that he was subjected to continuous verbal and physical abuse for about 20 minutes by the said…
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