Category: Legal

Oct 11, 2008 9LBO) – Sri Lanka’s former president Chandrika Kumaratunga had grossly violated public trust in a deal where state lands and a tax holiday were given to a firm in which an associate was covertly holding shares, the island’s Supreme Court has said. The judgement delivered by Supreme Court justice Shirani Tillakawardene said […]

Oct 11, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka top grouping of legal professionals had unanimously condemned an attack on anti-corruption activist and lawyer J C Weliamuna, sending a powerful message against the culture of impunity in the country, lawyers said. Weliamuna had appeared in human rights cases relating to police brutality. He also appeared in a […]

Oct 08, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has rapped a former president for abuse of power and reversed a controversial transfer of state land to a private developer in a landmark case, a court official said. Justice Shirani Tilekewardene delivering the judgement has observed that a president exercises power in trust for the […]

Oct 08, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s former Treasury Secretary P B Jayasundera was ordered to assure Supreme Court that he would not remain in public service following an apology for having remained in public office after a judgment, lawyers said. On Wednesday Jayasundera was told to submit an affidavit assuring Supreme Court that he […]

Oct 06, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has suspended a controversial new rule that gave the President powers to extend the terms of chosen public officers, but did not reverse any extension already granted, lawyers said. Those designated as public officers were “distinct and separate from political entities, judicial officers,” the plaint said. […]

Sept 30, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s lawyers are to protest in front of the main court complex in the capital Colombo while condemnation poured in, after an attack on the residence of a top anti-corruption activist and fellow attorney. “We fear that we cannot ignore this situation any further and allow it to escalate […]

Sept 28, 2008 (LBO) – The house of a top Sri Lankan anti-corruption activist who is also a lawyer who has appeared on behalf of victims of human rights abuses and torture, had been bombed last night, police said. The AHRC said the previous day he had raised the issue of a lawyer who had […]

Sept 26, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has named six entities as illegally taking money from the public and engaging in lending or investment activities, including a recently collapsed firm. The central bank said Okanda Finance (Pvt) Ltd of Waidya Road, Dehiwela, Nadini Finance (Private) Limited of 17, Reality Plaza, Colombo Road, Ja- […]

September 5, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice Sarath Silva Friday refused bail for a Buddhist monk and slammed fellow clergymen for not showing respect to the judiciary.The monk was earlier this week remanded until September 15 when he will answer charges of using loud hailers after 10:00 pm in violation of new sound […]

Sep 01, 2008 (LBO) – The man who acted as translator for a condemned Sri Lankan teenaged girl in a Saudi court was not a native Tamil speaker, her lawyer told court in an appeal hearing, a media report said. She had been 17 at the time she went to work as a house maid […]

Aug 26, 2008 (LBO) – A case against a Sri Lankan teenager who was condemned to death in Saudi Arabia, will be heard again after an appeal to a higher court, the island’s foreign ministry said. Embassy officials had visited Rizana on August 17 and found her in good health. Rizana was only 17 years […]

Aug 25, 2008 (LBO) – A top Sri Lankan judge has called for laws such as a freedom of information act to enable people greater access to information to create an ‘informed public’ that is essential for a democratic society. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘act (space) lbo’ and […]