Online edition of Daily News

Left to Right: V. Eshwariah, Judge of the High Court, Andra Pradesh, Justice Dr. G. Yethirajulu, Judge of the High Court, Andra Pradesh, Justice Wigneswaran, Judge of the Supreme Court, Sri Lanka, Justice Shiranee Tilakawardena, Judge of the Supreme Court, Sri Lanka, Chief guest Deshamanya Dr. Ponna Wignarajah, Chairman, South Asian Perspectives Network Association. B. K. Ramesh Shah, Chairperson of the International Jurists Conference held in Colombo, Justice Ameer Ismail, Rtd. Judge of the Supreme Court, B. K. Usha Bhen, B. K. Jega, B. K. Nadarajah, Managing Director, Colonial Group of Companies, Colombo, B. K. Maheswari, Coordinator of Jurist Wing, Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga, Justice Lucien de Alwis, Rtd. Judge of the Supreme Court, B. K. Lata, Legal Officer, Mt. Abu India at the inauguration of the International Jurists’ Conference in Justice, Spirituality and Humanity held at the Grand Oriental Hotel, Colombo.

The International Jurists' Conference and Dialogue on "Justice, Spirituality & Humanity" organised by the Jurists' Wing of Raja Yoga Education and Research Foundation, Mt. Abu, Rajasthan, India in collaboration with the Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Centres, Sri Lanka took place at the Grand Oriental Hotel, Colombo on April 10 & 11, 2004.

The chief guest at the inauguration ceremony was Deshamanya Dr. Ponna Wignarajah (Chairman, South Asian Perspectives Network Association, Chairman, SAARC Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation - appointed by the Heads of State of SAARC) who pointed out that the present crisis in the world has made it essential for us to focus on correct values.

Unless our values are properly identified and prioritised, he said, progress would be impossible. The transformation in man has to take place almost immediately, since the direction and route taken by this world seems perilous, precipitous and calamitous.

In keeping with the premises initiated by the Brahma Kumaris he warned that time was going out and unless changes took place immediately, time would force us to change at great pain and cost. Referring to the present scenario faced by Sri Lanka he suggested that it was time an enshrined Bill of Rights, going far beyond the scope of Section 29 of the First Ceylonese Constitution consisting of even economic rights and right to life, is prepared and formalised.

The multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-religious Sri Lanka must soon realise that all citizens who occupy this country are essentially all human beings and unless laws are formalised to grant basic rights equally to all citizens there are bound to be conflicts which will bleed this country.

He suggested that constitutional checks and balances with regard to the power structure in this country are soon innovated. The compulsions and imperatives of the modern Sri Lankan situation makes transitional justice essential. But in working out such transitional justice he said we must try out our traditional knowledge rather than conform to alien concepts and foreign experiences.

In the afternoon, Dialogue I on "Spirituality, Religion and Crime" was set in motion by Justice C. V. Wigneswaran (Judge of Supreme Court, Sri Lanka) Crime, he pointed out was not a static concept. What was a crime in the past may not be a crime anymore and vice versa.

Various types of criminals are the product of their times. While dealing with criminals, judges must recognise the changing attitudes that had influenced society and its judges at different times of history. Victims' interests also must be recognised. Judges must be free from tension in dealing with litigants and accused before them.

If freed from stress and tension, Judges would be more humane, more efficient and more dynamic. He distinguished Spirituality from Religion and said, "All of us could be joined together in Spirituality but divided in Religion."

Dialogue II was conducted by Justice Shirani Tilakawardene (Supreme Court Judge; Management Committee Member of Asia Pacific Region for Gender Training for Judges; Member of International Panel of Jurists of the International Bureau for Child Rights) on the topic "Women, Human Rights and Access to Justice." She referred to the stereo typed mentality on the part of men and even judges with regard to women, which resulted in innumerable harm being done to women throughout the ages.

A right, which a man has, is guaranteed by law for every woman but society is slow in recognising such rights.

She referred to many instances where women had been denied access to justice merely because of their gender. This is due to attitudinal prejudices and myths and stereotypes through the law provided for formal equality. Nevertheless due to such attitudes in practice, and in the daily lives of women, especially poor women, substantive equality was being denied that such was not the reality of experience of their lives. A greater understanding among Men and Women with regard to the harm and discrimination committed towards Women throughout the ages until today, would help women to obtain proper access to Justice, she said.

The keynote address was given by Brahma Kumari Sharda, Senior Raja Yoga Teacher, Ahamedabad. She was able to give the audience, consisting of Judges and lawyers from Sri Lanka and India an insight into the philosophy of the Brahma Kumaris.

"Change thy self and the World changes" was the message she gave to the judicially oriented audience. "Take a minute off every hour of your busy schedule to keep silent and relax. It would give you a lot of renewed energy," she said.

She also conducted a Meditation Session on April 11 Sunday morning. The Sunday plenary session centered around the theme "Juristic Wisdom for Changing Times". High Court Judge Yethirajulu from Andra Pradesh questioned as to what extent Judges alone could change the proceedings in courts.

There are the lawyers, the staff, the litigants, the accused and many others who needed transformation. He called upon the Brahma Kumaris to conduct such Conferences for all of them too. As for Judges, he confessed that a greater understanding of human beings and the world had dawned on all of them after they attended this conference.

B. K. Maheswari explained the changes Brahma Kumaris had brought into his personal life.

At the concluding valedictory session, Retired Supreme Court Judge, Ameer Ismail congratulated the Brahma Kumaris for having organised a very useful conference for Judges and assured the Judges' continued help.

He referred to a colleague of his who had retired, who confessed to him that if he had the knowledge imparted by the Brahma Kumaris when he was in judicial office, it would have helped him greatly in his official duties.

The Conference which is first of its kind in Sri Lanka, where a spiritually oriented organisation has organised and conducted, such a Conference acting as a facilitator to the deliberations among Judges', was highly acclaimed by all participants, both Sri Lanka and India who consisted of Supreme Court Judges, Court of Appeal Judges, High Court Judges, Original Court Judges and Labour Tribunal Presidents.

Steps are being taken to devise ways and means of making the outcome of the deliberations to be made known to a larger audience. The next International Conference for Jurists is scheduled to take place in Mt. Abu, Rajasthan, India from May 29, 2004.