By Colombo Telegraph –
Certain Media ( Irida Lankadeepa January 13, 2013 which is released today) have stated that the Lawyers for the Chief Justice requested time for the Chief Justice to remain till April 30, 2013 and the Chief Justice will voluntarily retire thereafter.
The Lawyers for the Chief Justice have issued a written statement denying this as incorrect and misleading and at the same time has stressed that the Lawyers expected the relevant media to have contacted the Lawyers concerned for verification prior to such publication.
Read the letter sent to Irida Lankadeepa by CJ’s lawyers here
Safa / January 12, 2013
Ploy by the Maha Eka to shape the issue.
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Aney Apochchi! / January 12, 2013
Given who owns the “Irida Lankadeepa” and the rest of those papers and to which political “leader” they are connected, is it surprising that people keep referring to Ranil Rajapaksa and/or Mahinda Wickremesinghe?
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anaperera / January 12, 2013
@ AA
since it’s pretty clear you know sinhala, but I have to write in English let me say your saying worth placing many sovereigns (coins and duly earned ones) in your mouth!!! kate masuran daanna watina kiyamanak!!
These two names and the owner of this paper and the laptop receiving rolly polly editor in chief of this paper and the other two editors who cleverly give a (little ) less biased view in english sister papers are all fooling us the ordinary people..
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mike / January 14, 2013
Also referred to as “Hitlerpaksha” and “Ranilpaksha” because they work hand in glove!!
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Good citizen / January 12, 2013
All these guys lying for the government in return to laptops they received from Mara.
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lanka / January 12, 2013
And return for a interest free loan for a duty free car
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krishna / January 12, 2013
It`s your moneies work to spred lies through MR`s lap-top and car loan media people.
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douglas / January 12, 2013
Give a BRIBE to the Media Personnel in Sri Lanka, “Anything and Everything” you want would be published. In this case I suppose, the “Lap Top & the Car Permit” ( that too from the PUBLIC TAXES) given publicly at a “Grand Ceremony” has produced results.
Well done “Irida Lankadeepa”. You have been very “GRATEFUL”.
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kautilya / January 12, 2013
Lakadeepa is belongs to Ranil’s uncle Ranjith Wijewardana. Can there be a hands of Ranil the Judas in this issue?
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Aney / January 12, 2013
The problem in this paper is that Chaiman Ranjith Wijewardena father of MP Ruwan still thinks that Editorial Independence is Important, but these editors are biased and it is time he took a firm stand.
If you see Ranil is at loggerheads with another of the group papers Financial Times
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kuma / January 12, 2013
This discloses how media culture operates in Sri Lanka. Writer Ranjith Ananda Jayasinghe is not only a stooge of the government but also a known to be on the pay role of the Temple Trees.
Kumar de Silva
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Saman Wijesiri / January 12, 2013
Chairman Ranjit Wijewardene has allowed full editorial independence and he does not dictate terms to editors. Nor does Ruwan interfere in the functioning of editorials. The editor of the Irida Lankadeepa is a despicable sycophant of the present regime. He is prostituting the newspaper to please his political boss. I think the chairman knows what this man up to. Mr. Wijewardene is a very shrewd person and he does not believe in sacking his employees or punishing them otherwise. He would allow a wrong doer to hang himself rather than become the hangman!
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Patta Pal / January 13, 2013
Saman I believe you are absolutely correct. It is very rare today in Sri Lanka for an editor to act independently of the proprietor. It must be held in high regard to ensure editorial independence and non interference. We therefore should not fault the owner, and in fact give him immense praise. When one knows how often his papers seem to irritate and annoy his nephew Ranil, one realises that he is not taking sides. So I wish some readers get educated as to the fact that they do not reflect Ranil’s views as a matter of policy.
It is therfore particularly galling of the Editor if he went out on a limb to report what was not true or misleading, and an apology from the Editor who is a known MR sycophant is in order, if in fact his reporter stepped out of line in distorting the truth. The reporter in turn should be hauled over the coals by the Editor.
We must nevertheless admire the Wijeya group as the truly independent group of newspapers and let us force its editorial by way of being critical of their stance to mend their ways and show true independence of editors like famous editors of the past. It is to the shame of the editor of Irida Lankadeepa that this article is aimed at, and let us hope he finally learns the error of his ways and maybe changes his tune!! There is always hope that people can learn from their mistakes.
If he can’t and has any self respect he will resign having compromised editorial independence a hallmark of a GOOD editor.
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THE QUIET MAN / January 13, 2013
When did the newspapers ever tell the TRUTH???.The only man who tried to say it,the late LASANTHA WICKREMETUNGE was brutally gunned down in broad daylight, and his killers have never been found, and will never be found as long as this despotic regime rules.The other guys are simply PLAYING SAFE.Where is the LAKBIMA sunday newspaper today??CLOSED DOWN, and it’s Editor,Rajpal Abeynayake, taken away to Lake House, where he now edits the DAILY NEWS.DON’T READ THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS,it is a waste of your good time and money,read the foreigh newspapers online instead.YOU WILL LEARN A LOT,and it will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
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Patta Pal / January 13, 2013
Please note the wording of my reply to Saman Wijesiri. It did not in fact agree or disagree with the accusations made by the CJ’s lawyers. One must in a situation such as this understand the position of her lawyers. They are defending their client and have to put the best foot forward on her behalf.
So whilst the editor is taking a mainly pro Govt. stance we must also look into the possibility of the statement having some truth and as the lawyers have not clearly indicated what it is they had suggested we must necessarily assume.
There is no question on the impeachment that the CJ would be fired. So it is possible to save face, prevent a constitutional crisis, avoid a an impeachment crisis, that would be damaging to the whole country’s prestige vis a vis its position in the world no matter who governs this country, that the CJ made an offer, which if she retired on 30th April, she would be entitled to a full pension, which she may not if fired!!
There are technical ways out of it also, by taking a leave of absense till 30th April, ensuring the day she leaves employment as 30th April to preserve her pension rights, etc. Paid leave, unpaid leave and the like. This is done in normal circumstances, when Senior corporate leaders are fired from the Board, to save embarrasment, and save face.
So let us pass judgment on the facts, once the CJ’s lawyers are able to disclose what it was exactly in their own words that was said, or written about how she would leave! We can then judge. At present, it is their word only against that which was reported in the Irida Lankadeepa.
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Jayantha / January 13, 2013
A Hundred Million Rupee Lawsuit should be brought against Lankadeepa against false reporting.
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Jayantha / January 13, 2013
A Hundred Million Rupee Lawsuit should be brought against Lankadeepa for false reporting.
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Indra / January 13, 2013
A fat chance of winning a law suit against the paper under a new CJ who will be a puppet of the regime.
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Ralph Ralapanawa / January 14, 2013
If you read Sunday times political column it carried the same news but says the news was covered through intermediaries which I believe is the truth.
“One who negotiated on behalf of the Government said they conveyed that they would not be averse to dropping the impeachment if Ms. Bandaranayake resigned. He claimed that the Chief Justice had asked for three months’ time so she could retire. However, he said this was turned down at the highest levels of the Government. The reason given for the refusal sounded somewhat bizarre – that she (Chief Justice Bandaranayake) had in the interim ..,,”
Hers lawyers won’t challenge this or go to courts,
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