(Lanka-e-News - 21.March.2018, 6.45PM) The statement made by ex minister of justice Wijedasa Rajapakse (of all people) that the proposed Judicial organization draft bill has been declared as illegal by the Attorney General via a 19 page document is an absolute lie ! and this ex minister has deliberately tried to mislead the public , said the state counsel before the supreme court (SC) day before yesterday (19 ). This draft bill is designed to appoint special high courts each with a three judges panel to eliminate delays in courts when hearing cases of corruption and crimes.
The media in SL which has nowadays descended to unbelievable sordid levels gave a huge publicity to the rascally ex minister ‘s statement , however failed to give adequate publicity to the revelation made by the state counsel exposing the discarded minister and his blatant lies.
The abridgement of the revelation made by the state counsel is hereunder …
About one and half years ago , minister Sarath Amunugama made a proposal to cabinet to appoint a special criminal investigation Commission ( vested with judicial powers on the same lines of the Commission which heard cases pertaining to the 1971 rebellion ) with the aim to avert delays in courts when hearing cases of frauds and corruption .
The draft was prepared by Nigel Hatch , an attorney at law. Since Hatch was not famous , the cabinet at that time decided to forward the draft to the AG to obtain his advice. It was Wijedasa Rajapakse who was the justice minister under that cabinet then . The AG at that time via a 19 page document explained , under the 1978 constitution , an Institution to mete out punishment outside the country’s judicial system cannot be established.
Consequent upon this , Amunugama’s proposal was put aside , and through a parliamentary sectoral committee represented by all parties this was explored. It was then it came to light under our ‘wonderful’ judicial system , in SL it takes about 17 years to conclude a case and mete out punishment to a criminal.( This is not surprising when crooked ex justice ministers like Wijedasa contributed to injustice and abetted criminals instead of improving the judicial system).
Following the Parliamentary sectoral committee report the cabinet entrusted the AG with the task of appointing a court constitutionally in conformity with the judicial system , to hear fraud and corruption cases expeditiously .It is following this the new judicial development draft bill was born after a draft bill committee headed by the AG . This initially contemplated the appointment of three High courts each with a panel of three judges to hear cases continually . In order to draft this bill the AG and his committee met 68 times.
It is despite this backdrop the discarded ex minister of justice Wijedasa told lies shamelessly, profusely and brazenly. Going by his conduct , one can imagine what amount of perversion of justice could have taken place when he was the minister .
The AG at that time submitted the 19 page document in connection with Amunugama’s proposal , and not in relation to the present Judicial development draft bill which has been prepared by the AG himself . Hence the ex minister of justice Wijedasa lying this shamelessly while knowing the actual position is most deplorable and detestable.
The State counsel before the SC gave details in this regard supported by evidence yesterday .
---------------------------
by (2018-03-21 13:32:17)
Leave a Reply