Tag: human rights
laws like emergency regulations torture the security forces and the police | Attorney Prabodha Rathnayake
Debate on restoring security is diverted to suit political ends
Late Mr. Tarzie Vittachithe, winner of many prestigious awards for journalism, had a favourite saying that, “Everything is about something else”. In a similar manner, the parliamentary discussion on two no-confidence motions is also clearly about other issues, rather than the brutal carnage that took place on Easter Sunday and the causes thereof. The government is looking at these motions to prevent its fall from power, while the opposition is looking at them with the view to topple the government from power. No one is debating the factors that led…
Read MoreBecause it can produce another offender, another person who makes mistakes and also an individual with hateful feels.| Joseph Stalin
it is a fact that the police, not only the the public, but even the judiciary believe that the truth can be found through torture & torture| Visakesa Chandrasekaram
Public space decreasing as talk of presidential election looms large
In an unprecedented move, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena attacked the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) for carrying out its duty to vet soldiers to participate in United Nations Peacekeeping Missions. While the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations requires the HRCSL to vet the human rights record of persons proposed for participation in peacekeeping missions, the President and the military are opposing this move. As a result, an earlier group of peacekeepers already in the Missions continue to be there, while a new group is unable to go. Two…
Read MoreFrom instability to greater disability
Perhaps one thing that was forgotten when Lord Dunmore gave Adult Franchise for all, and also when Sri Lanka became an independent nation, is the stability of the social structure of a country. This is what provides for the establishment of the government, which will ensure security and stability to all. When these matters are talked or written about, the invariable reaction is that we have gone deep into this crisis. Not just cynics, but those who know the ground reality, feel that whatever description is given about this crisis…
Read MoreA Snapshot of the Criminal Justice System: Building a Picture Through Sexual Violence Cases in the Court of Appeal 2018 by Shenali De Silva and supported publication
The disparity in sentences illustrated a lack of uniformity and consistency in judges’ approaches to sentencing sexual violence offending. The non-adherence to statutory minimum sentences and ordering suspended sentences compounded the lack of consistency in sentencing. The existence, and extent, of sentencing disparities alerts to larger issues around the exercise of judicial discretion and the need for sentencing guidelines and other parameters to ensure consistency, fairness, and to minimise arbitrariness in judicial decision-making. Disparity in judicial decision-making, including non-observance of legislative constraints, indicates the exercise of judicial discretion is an…
Read Moreexperience in walikada prison | Kasun Pussewela Young Journalist
INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS’ SUBMISSION TO THE UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW OF SRI LANKA 2017.
SUBMISSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS TO THE UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW OF SRI LANKA ”Composed of 60 eminent judges and lawyers from all regions of the world, the International Commission of Jurists promotes and protects human rights through the Rule of Law, by using its unique legal expertise to develop and strengthen national and international justice systems. Established in 1952, in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council since 1957, and active on the five continents, the ICJ aims to ensure the progressive development and effective implementation…
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