News – Page 23

Covid -19 and the constitution

Basil Fernando Arundhati Roy, prominent writer and social activist in India has written several important articles in the recent few days on the problem of the spread of Covid and the vast numbers of deaths that are taking place in India. In an article written just a few days back, Arundhati Roy directly addresses the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi and points to the fact that the Covid crisis in India is a problem of governance in India. System of governance have failed and it is now threatening the…

Colombo Additional Magistrate Mrs. Rajindra Jayasuriya has reprimanded the youth who encouraged fellow citizens to honk vehicle horns in protest of stopping vehicles in order to let elite personnel pass. When the youth was produced in court, Mrs. Jayasuriya had told him to not to act macho. “Don’t try to act macho. Behaving like lunatics for everything,” she has said. Drivers, who were encouraged by the youth, objected by sounding vehicle horns protesting the stopping traffic on the main road by the police for a VIP convoy to pass following.…

It Is Time ‌for The Judiciary to Defend Itself

By Basil Fernando The recommendations by a Commission appointed by the President, recommending that a large number of criminal cases that have been filed in the Courts of Sri Lanka be withdrawn, is the deadliest blow that has been dealt to the administration of justice in Sri Lanka. If this recommendation is put into effect, the consequence would be that of replacing the Judiciary of Sri Lanka with anyone that the President may choose to appoint in order to annul any of the proceedings that are instituted in a court…

police torture in mount lavinia police station

Relatives of a man who died after being arrested by Mount Lavinia Police and produced before a court have lodged a complaint with the IGP and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. The deceased has been identified as Vasana Susantha Dissanayake, 49, a resident of Pasal Mawatha, Kalubowila. He is said to have run a motorcycle repair business by profession. His son also runs a motorcycle spare parts shop in Attidiya. Vasana Susantha, who died on March 18, was arrested by the police in Ratmalana while carrying food to…

national authority for the protection of victims of crime and witnesses

The National Authority for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses of Crime was established under the Assistance to and Protection of Victims and Witnesses of Crime Act No. 04 of 2015. No. 428 / 11A, Denzil Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, Battaramulla on 18th May 2016. Its main objectives are to protect, promote and enforce the rights of crime and witnesses while meeting the needs of crime and victims. An emergency hotline number for this authority was introduced in 2019. That was the 1985 short phone number. The latest statistics from the National…

Law reforms in the judiciary Ministry of Justice ali sabri

We talk almost every day about the case delays and forensic report delays in the Ministry of Justice. In many cases, delays in forensic reports have led to unjustified imprisonment. As a result, the government has to bear the additional burden of maintaining them. Sometimes we have seen the test reports are 1-2 years late. The same is true of cases. Many cases drag on for years and in some cases the victim dies. In recent days, civil society has repeatedly pointed out to the government that this situation must…

Police violence has become a current topic in Sri Lanka. There will be 26 illegal killings in Sri Lanka in 2020 alone, said Philip Dissanayake, spokesman for the Sri Lankan Alliance Against Torture. Police are responsible for about half of those killings. The Department of Prisons is the main agency responsible for the rest. In addition, there were a number of incidents of police torturing suspects in 2020. There were also reports of disruptions, assaults, arrests and harassment of peaceful protesters. In June, activists, including women from the Frontline Socialist…

තාරික් අහමඩ්ගේ නඩුව ඉදිරියට ගෙන යාමට ශ්‍රෙෂ්ඨාධිකරණයෙන් අවසර!

Supreme Court of Sri Lanka granted leave to proceed with a fundamental rights petition regarding an autistic boy who had been harassed by police officers and others at Dharga Town in Kalutara district. The petition filed on behalf of the victim Tharik Ahmed was taken up by a panel of Supreme Court judges comprised of Justices P.B. Aluvihare, Murdu Fernando and Achala Vengappuli. Fifteen years old Ahmed was tortured by the police officers and others on 25th February 2020 during a quarantine curfew. The boy’s father, Mohammed Waseer complained to…

Sri Lankan police officer harassing a man

The Sri Lankan driver who was brutally flung down and pounded jumping on his body in public by a police officer described his harrowing experience to the media. Link to the story: Sri Lankan traffic police officer harasses a man in public The victim, Kalaimagan Praveen was brutally assaulted by a police officer on the High-Level road at Pannipitiya on June 29. He said that he had driven the lorry from 1 a.m. from Bandarawela. He fell asleep while driving in the traffic and hit one police officer who was…

Police media spokesman Ajith Rohana said that an investigation had been started to ascertain whether any crime had taken place regarding the death of a suspect arrested by police. The person was arrested under suspicion for the possession of cannabis on 19th March. He was released by the court later after imposing a fine of Rs. 10,000. He was first admitted to the hospital on March 21 and discharged on 25th. He was admitted to the hospital again on March 30 and died on March 31.

Category: News

Covid -19 and the constitution

“Don’t try to act macho”- Magistrate warns activist; Impartiality of the Magistrate questioned

It Is Time ‌for The Judiciary to Defend Itself

Did the suspect who died in mt.Lavinia due to Police torture?

Complaints to the Authority for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses of Crime are on the rise!

Many legal reforms in the judiciary!

How to build a non-violent police force?

Human rights petition of harassed autistic boy granted leave to proceed

Sri Lankan tortured man describes his experience

Investigation on a death of a suspect released from police custody