Legal professionals have criticised de facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris’ visit to the Vatican, pointing out Pieris’ flaunts of his closeness with the Rajapaksa regime has posed a grave threat to the independence of the judiciary.
According to a media statement issued by the Government Information Department on President Rajapaksa’s visit to the Vatican for an audience with the Pope, Pieris had been part of the Presidential delegation. The Lawyers Collective points out that a CJ being part of a visit organized by political representatives of a certain country, is unheard of in the history of the Commonwealth.
Senior lawyer, JC Weliamuna has told media that Pieris’s visit to the Vatican therefore has posed a grave challenge to the independence of the judiciary and on the confidence that the masses have placed on the judiciary.
He has gone on to state that since the appointment of Pieris as the CJ, his participation in events alongside government representatives – almost as a member of the regime – has escalated drastically.
Ansar / October 6, 2014
The Legal Professionals are a crying shame in Sri Lanka. They did not have the back bone to rise up at the illegal, immoral and thuggish ouster of the Chief Justice by the Murderous MARA REGIME.
Now these fellows are trying to lock the stable doors. The horses have bolted already.
Hit the street if you have any quality of professionalism or manhood left in you.
You guys are the root cause for all the evils taking place in the judiciary of Sri Lanka. Just see across the palk strait and learn some lessons.
Shame on you people.Do not call yourselves professionals, it’s an insult.
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Amarasiri / October 6, 2014
Ansar
RE: De Facto CJ’s Vatican Visit Poses A Grave Threat To Judicial Independence
Wow. Even the Chief justice has turned out to be a shill.
L
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attorney / October 6, 2014
Ansar
Do not talk rubish. In this corrupt regiment, when all are silent, it is only the legal profession that make at least a noice
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Yehiya / October 7, 2014
Appointment of CJ is day time crime.Where our Rev. Ranjith Malcom stand.
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Spring Koha / October 6, 2014
Ho Ho Ho. Independence of the Judiciary? In Sri Lanka? That was killed and buried a long time ago. The current position is akin to the Court Jester. The current Court Jester happens to be a ‘catholic’ and so is an essential part of the Presidential caravan on such a hollow visit. This delegation – to extend an ‘official invitation’ for a visit that has already been agreed and planned – was as welcome as a fart in a lift, but the thick-skinned Regime wouldn’t know it. For once, the exotic dress of Mahinda and Shiranthi was matched – even upstaged – by the magnificent robes of the Pope and his cardinals.
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Ben Hurling / October 6, 2014
Total erosion, destruction and dismantling of all democratic & cosntitutional institutions of the Sri Lankan state as we know them is now a proven fact.
What Ambassador Tamara Kunanayakam refered to as the “Decay of the Sri Lankan sate” has now been accomplished. Congrats!
The only thriving institution in Sri Lanka now is “Hamba Clan, Cronies & Henchmen”. And a Crony Capitalism to go!
Your beloved country is worse than a Banana Republic.
Well done fellow stupid citizens, who vote for “Kurakkan Patriots” from Hambantota.
Cheers!
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Robert.R / October 6, 2014
Tamara Kunanayakam was happy to be part of the decay when she was enjoying the perks.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / October 6, 2014
The Pope of the catholic church and the ‘Pope’ of the BBS Buddhism attired in almost similar vestments, but with one wearing the white cap and cross, and the other the ‘Kurakkan’ Sathakaya. G.L.Pieris and Mohan Pieris are symbolic representations of what is wrong with Sri Lanka. It is an absolutely great and once in a life time photograph .
Dr.RN
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Paul / October 6, 2014
They both think they are are infallible, but one is less fallible than the other.
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truth / October 6, 2014
Does the pope accepts confessions from “heads of state”?
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jon henry / October 6, 2014
Pope should know that he took thieves murderers and gansters n to his domain. He should not accept the invitation to visit sri lanka by these thieves. HE should be more intelligent to refuse illegitimate idiots.
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len / October 7, 2014
Pope Francis as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio twice invoked his right under Argentine law to refuse to appear in open court in trials involving torture and murder inside the feared Navy Mechanics School and the theft of babies from detainees. When he eventually did testify in 2010, his answers were evasive, human rights attorney Myriam Bregman told the AP.
“There’s hypocrisy here when it comes to the church’s conduct, and with Bergoglio in particular,” said Estela de la Cuadra, whose mother co-founded the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo activist group during the dictatorship to search for missing family members. “There are trials of all kinds now, and Bergoglio systematically refuses to support them.”
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george jilmart / October 6, 2014
A murderer and a thief in the company of the pope. Perhaps the MARa is modeling himself on Barrabas who was crucified with Jesus Christ. Dear Pope, please do not be conned and sucked in by this criminal and murderer who is using your visit to get the votes of the Christians at the soon to be held election for a president. Please visit this country once this criminal is no longer in power which will be soon. The thief justice who is accompanying the rogue will rot in hell for selling his religion to this thief who is his master.
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Know All / October 6, 2014
Paul,
No, Pope Francis does NOT think he is infallible. I don’t know about MR, though.
The invitation to the Pope to visit SL has gone out as much from the Catholics of SL as it has from the Government. In accepting the invitation to visit SL, the Pope is not endorsing the regime or its conduct and its policies. He is right to come.
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Nass / October 6, 2014
It means that MR can buy any one in this world
Timing is important here
Nearing election he need get catholic votes
It is a good gesture
It is a good gesture to invite Pope as we’ll
Are we going to be fooled by this thug once again
How many time he can fool Sinhalese people
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truth / October 6, 2014
As long as Sinhalese people are happy to swallow what the opportunist politicians say, there will be politicians like the ones we have now.
The biggest blunder the Sinhalese made and are making even now is the “sinhala only” Don’t they realise now that all the politicians children were and are educated abroad in the English medium. Have you ever thought where they get the money to send their children abroad? Your guess is as good mine!!
The next blunder is that the sinhalese are made to believe by these scheming, unscrupulous politicians that all the ills of the country are due to the minorities ie. Tamils,muslims and Christians!!! People should learn to think for themselves. Learn to question and analize every slogans these guys shout on the stage during election campaign! Do not make the most peaceful Buddhist religion into a Terrorist religion.
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Park / October 6, 2014
We all know after the appointment of the Cheap Justice the Judiciary is not independent. Hence, what is the point in now declaring “De Facto CJ’s Vatican Visit Poses A Grave Threat To Judicial Independence”?
All what has to be done is for all lawyers to boycott the courts and the opposition in the Parliament should boycott and not attend the Parliamentary sessions and demand that the present Cheap Justice to be removed since he has proved numerous times that he is not an independent person and with him he has made sure that the Judiciary is also not independent in Sri Lanka.
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Tilak Salpitta / October 6, 2014
[Edited out] Mohan, how can you stoop so low. You are a damn disgrace. You will no doubt remember me my old friend
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len / October 7, 2014
And I remember his mother music teacher know as the singing teacher at St. Antony college Wattala. A honourable decent well liked teacher.
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Ansar / October 7, 2014
Attorney
True enough. Only making notices.
Look what Pakistani Lawyers did when their chief Justice was challenged.
They reversed everything. What did you guys do.
Who’s Talking rubbish.
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Goraka / October 7, 2014
Pope know who MR is. He know who CJ is.
Sincerity is the most important part of religion.
Remember Jesus knocking the tables of money lenders inside a synogogue? He was sincere.
Pope – more interested to get more convertions?
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sirisena / October 7, 2014
Hello Ansar, in Pakistan the army was not ready to stop the lawyers. Have you forgotten how the Sri Lankan lawyers were attacked by hooligans and the police / Army watched when they organized the protest march for the ex C J.
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Ansar / October 7, 2014
Sirisena,
You guys could have at least boycotted the court hearings in unison, to send a loud message to MARA.
Then how on earth can the judiciary move forward. I am sure there are ways and means if you have the sincerity of purpose. Understand that, the house fires need to be burning, but sacrifice is needed for the sake of a Nation and our future generations.
The way MARA is conducting business, it is now or never situation.
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Wera / October 8, 2014
This proves one thing. The Catholic church does not value human rights or democracy. To visit a country like ours at this time requires a great deal of deceit. To willfully ignore the despotic nature of our Rajapakshe says volumes about what the real values of the Catholic clergy here and in Rome are. From secret deals with Musolini to the support given to Franco of Spain and to many other more recent dictators including Marcos in the Philipines the Catholic church loves dictatorships which trample down on peoples rights and freedom. So the Pope will arrive just prior to a presidential election to give his blessing to our own dictator so that the less educated catholic voters can go to the polls and vote against their own interests. What a shameful betrayal of the most central teachings of Christianity.
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whywhy / October 8, 2014
The president,speaker of the parliament,sec of defense,
the minister of economic development,leader of youth
front and the CM of Uva and many other invisible
extended family branches all completely ignoring public
concern and reactions to their nepotism,has now
embarked on a mission to exhibit to the whole world
how the independence of judiciary’s top man is taken
by non other than the very head who can appoint and
disappoint the job any time of his choice.There were
too many signals of this kind in the past the
opposition couldn’t do anything about to highlight the
threat to the smooth function of democracy.This is a
disgusting,and naked breach of public trust by a
serving(self)highest position of the judiciary.
Where’s public reaction?Is the opposition only
concerned about serious issues on election times?
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