Members of the legal fraternity yesterday claimed that if the news of a hastily arranged meeting of the District Judges convened by the Chief Justice today was true, it was both inappropriate and ill-timed.
They said that a sudden meeting of this nature on a working day could cripple court proceedings islandwide and put the public into difficulty.
Asked if there was a possibility that court hearings as scheduled which cannot be taken up for hearing on account of a meeting held between District judges and the Chief Justice Dr Bandaranayaka, Sri Lanka Bar Association Secretary Sanjaya Gamage said, if there was such a meeting on a working day for Courts, the people would be inconvenienced.
He said, he personally believes that such an occurrences on a working day will not be in favor of the interests of the public.
“It could create tension,” he said.
As pointed out by lawyer Jude Mahesh Wavita, Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayaka has all the right to call for a special meeting with District Judges.
However, he said, “To my understanding, such meetings are usually called for in emergencies, when it is of utmost necessity,” he said.
Lawyers also questioned the motive and timing of the meeting which comes on the eve of the Parliamentary Select Committee sittings on Tuesday for further hearing on the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake.
Some members of the Bar Association said when such a meeting of the judges is convened it should be properly notified beforehand to ensure that it does not interfere with court proceedings, and leaves enough time to re-schedule relevant matters for a later date.
In this instance, they said the lawyers were not aware of any such meeting taking place.
A lawyer who wished to remain unnamed questioned the timing of the meeting which comes on the day before of an important hearing by the PSC on the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice.
When contacted, a veteran lawyer told the Daily News that although the Chief Justice could call a meeting of the Judges any time, it was not appropriate to do so at a time an impeachment motion against her was being heard. Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody when contacted said he was not aware of any such meeting being convened by the Chief Justice.
However, on the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice, the Deputy Speaker said the motion had been signed by a majority of Members of Parliament and accordingly a special parliamentary committee (PSC) was appointed to examine the charges.
He noted that now it was the responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that the proceedings of the committee are unhindered so as to reach a decision on the validity of the charges as soon as possible.
Lawyers also yesterday said that judicial realm must function smoothly and efficiently, despite the impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayaka.
“The impeachment is a separate process,” they explained. “It should not become a burden on the public.”
The Courts should discharge their services to the public and not turn them away, for this will create unrest among the public who seek help from the justice system, they said