Category: Legal

Dec 17, 2014 (LBO) – The Australian Government to continue its tough border protection measures to manage illegal maritime arrivals and combat people smuggling, the high commission of Australia said at a media conference held Colombo.On 26 November 2014, Sri Lanka and Australia worked together to disrupt a people smuggling venture carrying 38 Sri Lankan […]

Sep 29, 2014 (LBO) –Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court dismissed the Fundamental Rights application filed by Mr Sujeewa Arjune Senasinghe of Colombo 3 against the Monetary Board complaining that the Central Bank, in purchasing Greece Government Bonds, had acted in an unlawful, irresponsible and an arbitrary manner, Central Bank said in a media release. This decision […]

COLOMBO, September 3, 2014 (AFP) – A retired Sri Lankan soldier died on Wednesday, a day after setting himself alight in what police said was a protest against UN moves to investigate the country’s war record.The 73-year-old man set himself on fire on Tuesday near President Mahinda Rajapakse’s tightly-guarded residence in Colombo, police spokesman Ajith […]

GENEVA, August 13, 2014 (AFP) – The UN refugee agency on Tuesday accused Sri Lanka of breaking international law in its growing campaign to kick out Pakistani asylum seekers without a fair hearing.“Fundamentally, this is a breach of the principle of no forced returns. That’s a clear violation of international law,” said Adrian Edwards, spokesman […]

SYDNEY, August 4, 2014 (AFP) – Asylum-seekers held on an Australian customs vessel at sea for weeks were given lifeboats and told to make their own way back to India, a lawyer for the group said Monday.The boatload of 157, who lawyer Hugh de Kretser said were mostly Christian Tamils fleeing persecution in Sri Lanka, […]

SYDNEY, August 2, 2014 (AFP) – Some 157 asylum-seekers who were detained at sea for weeks by Australia have been sent to the Pacific island of Nauru after rejecting a return to India, officials said Saturday.The group, thought to be mostly ethnic Tamils from Sri Lanka and including 50 children, left the Indian port of […]

SYDNEY, July 28, 2014 (AFP) – A group of 157 asylum-seekers held for weeks on the high seas on an Australian customs vessel were likely economic migrants from India, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said Monday.“The indications are… that there are a very large number of people on this ship that had been resident in India […]

SYDNEY, July 25, 2014 (AFP) – A group of 157 asylum-seekers in custody on the high seas for weeks will be taken to Australia and held until consular officials confirm their nationalities, ending a long stand-off, authorities said Friday.The development follows lawyers acting for about one-third of those on board — thought to be mostly […]

COLOMBO, July 22, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police were Tuesday investigating the gang-rape of an 11-year-old girl allegedly by seven sailors in the island’s former war zone, a spokesman said. The victim, who cannot be identified according to Sri Lankan laws, had been repeatedly raped by more than one man, police spokesman Ajith Rohana […]

COLOMBO, July 18, 2014 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan ruling party politician and three accomplices were Friday sentenced to 20 years in jai for murdering a British holidaymaker on Christmas Eve and raping his Russian partner. The case was initially heard in the southern town of Tangalle, the hometown of the main accused, but shifted […]