BASL has breached hallowed tradition – Attorney

Sandasen Marasinghe

Attorney-at-law V. K. Choksy yesterday said the hallowed tradition of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka of according respect to the Judiciary had been breached at the induction ceremony of the newly elected BASL President Upul Jayasuriya, by not inviting the incumbent Chief Justice as the Chief Guest for the occasion.

The tradition is that the incumbent Chief Justice is invited as the chief guest for the induction ceremony of the BASL President. In the last 39 years this was the first time that the incumbent Chief Justice was not invited as the Chief Guest for the induction ceremony of the BASL President.

Attorney-at-Law Choksy said it was the tradition that the judiciary and the BASL to respect each other. But conduct such as this is a blow to this tradition. However, it appears that the BASL is working together with the former Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayake who was impeached and removed from the post constitutionally, rather than working with the constitutionally appointed Chief Justice.

The induction ceremony of the newly elected President of the BASL Upul Jayasuriya and the Executive Committee was held at the New Town Hall on Sunday. Chief Justice Mohan Peiris, PC, had not been invited to the ceremony. Former Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake had been invited as the Chief Guest while former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and UNP Parliamentarians Karu Jayasuriya and Lakshman Kiriella had also been invited.