The Complaint by a young mother of sexual harassment suffered at the Padukka Police Station.

A woman raise her voice against police sexual abuse suffered at the Padukka Police station. She appeals to the President and the IGP for seeking justice. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has also sent an open letter to the IGP that urging to urgently intervene by, (a) Ensuring her protection (b) Conducting an urgent inquiry (c) Ensure Arrest and criminal action against the accused. Following is a translation of the transcript of her message. (The translation from Sinhala to English by Asian Human Rights Commission) My husband, my two…

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A 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…

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