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National legal aid conference

The Legal Aid Foundation of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka would be holding a full-day Conference for lawyers assisting in legal aid work in Sri Lanka on April 20. The primary aim of the Legal Aid Conference to be held for the first time in Sri Lanka would be to develop a national legal aid strategy, including the North and East. The theme of the Conference would be "Legal Aid as a Fundamental Right."

Unlike in other democratic countries, Sri Lanka does not have a comprehensive legal aid program to provide indigent litigants with access to justice. Ad hoc legal aid groups with donor assistance render some useful work but effective sustainability of the project depends on a certain donor agency. The BASL under the Presidency of A. W. Athukorale, through its Legal Aid Foundation is now taking steps to build a comprehensive legal aid scheme concentrating on traditional as well as developmental legal aid.

Hence, during the past few months LAF under the Chairmanship of S. S. Wijeratne, has launched a number of legal aid schemes, viz. a scheme for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with the support of UNHCR, a Mobile Legal Aid Scheme for Elders with support from the Central Finance Company and the Rotary Club of Colombo West, a Consumer Rights Protection Program with the Assistance of Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). A legal aid project for migrant workers is being processed.

The National Legal Aid Conference would have presentations and working groups on the above subjects. Chief Justice Sarath N Silva would be the Chief Guest and Ruth Archibald, High Commissioner for Canada would be the Guest of Honour. The keynote address will be delivered by an eminent jurist whereas the presentations would be made by A. W. Athukorale, President of BASL, Faiz Mustapha, Chairman, Human Rights Commission, Leslie Abeysekera, President, Human Rights Commission, Mark McKenna, Director, Asia Foundation, Ms. Marie Little Noel, Protection Officer, UNHCR, Upali Gunaratne, Chairman, Legal Aid Commission and Rohan Edirisinghe, Director, Centre for Policy Alternatives.

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