By Vishvamithra –

Until the ‘cordial meeting’ held with the President Rajapaksa on 14^th Jan 2013, the Bar Association head Wijedasa Rajapakshe, was firmly of the view that rule of law should prevail in the country and there cannot be two CJs (one legitimate another illegitimate). In short he was of the view that no one should be allowed to undermine the integrity of the judiciary and that all alike should respect the Court System and all determinations made by the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

Yet, when Mohan Peiris arrived at the Supreme Court premises the general membership of the bar observed something fishy and strange. The government supporters hailed both Wijedasa Rajapakshe and Mohan Peiris followed by a statement by the bar that it was willing to cooperate with the illegitimate CJ Mohan Peiris.

The membership of the bar, feels that the head of the Bar effectively deceived them. They sensed that both the general membership and the general public that opposed the oppressive, arrogant and lawless regime has been betrayed by Wijedasa Rajapakshe, the kind of total breakdown of the integrity eaten into the entire social fabric in this country.

As happened in Pakistan recently, when some members demanded the Association the total stoppage of work until the legitimate CJ is recalled and restored to the office, it was opposed by the Executive Committee, on the basis that 48 hour token stoppage of work is adequate to display the dissent of the Bar, which in any event the President Rajapakse would have appreciated, even 72 hours of stoppage of work. Effectively the Executive committee of the Bar disregarded the offer made by the JSA (Association of Magistrates and Judges in the District Courts) that they would fully standby any decision taken by the bar that would lead to restore the rule of law.

In this backdrop, the people of this country, indiscriminate battered by the deceptive leadership and helpless would only raise the question, as to the morale integrity of this so-called professional body, which some members of public referred as ‘black coats’ and about the false leadership it offered to the public, at a time there was a total breakdown of the law and order in the country.