Prominent barrister Geoffrey Robertson wants Australia and other commonwealth countries to boycott a leaders’ meeting in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo to protest the impeachment of the nation’s chief justice.
Geoffrey Robertson QC
The Australian lawyer also wants the Queen to steer clear of November’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), after Shirani Bandaranayake was declared guilty of misconduct seven weeks ago.
“Governments which respect the rule of law should not attend,” Mr Robertson states in a written report for England’s Bar Human Rights Committee.
“Nor should the Queen or any royal family member provide a photo-opportunity for President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
“Royal seals of approval serve the propaganda interests of people like this and no-shows by powerful nations would signal the unacceptability of their behaviour.”
Ms Bandaranayake, the first woman to hold Sri Lanka’s highest judicial post, was sacked by President Rajapaksa two days after parliament voted to impeach her in January.
She had previously stalled a bill that sought to grant greater political and financial power to the president’s youngest brother who is the economic development minister.
In his report, released in London, Mr Robertson argues the Sri Lankan government’s treatment of the judge “undermines the rule of law to such an extent that the country which suffers it will suffer the loss of that independent power which is essential to make democracy work”.
He states the attack on the independence of the judiciary is a “calamity” for Sri Lanka but also an international problem because it could be emulated elsewhere if allowed to pass without consequences.
Speaking at the report’s launch, Mr Robertson said the “fabricated charges” against Ms Bandaranayake were heard by government ministers in a secret star chamber with witnesses bullied and browbeaten.
The QC wants the 117 MPs who voted for impeachment and the seven ministers who declared her guilty banned from visiting Britain and other commonwealth countries. He also wants their foreign bank accounts frozen.
“These identifiable people are collectively responsible for an unlawful attack on the rule of law and unless made to suffer for it others will do the same dirty work,” Mr Robertson writes in Wednesday’s report.
Courtesy AAP – Business Spectator – Australia
Related posts;
Safa / February 28, 2013
The govt and the members of the infamous PSC will never hear the last of their unjust and irresponsible action. They will go down in the history of this nation and the world as those who betrayed the sovereignity and broke the trust of the people of this nation.
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gamini / February 28, 2013
Current CJ should be boycotted by all the Legal Luminaries of the World and treat these Parayas who violate decency and civil behaviour shunning them with contempt, they deserve.
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Raja / March 2, 2013
No one is infalible. This is what has happened to Geoffrey Robertson for not bothering to investigate the reasons for CJ’s impeachment. If he only reads the letter sent to the UNHRC by the depositors of “Golden Key” company, Mr Robertson would know the real reason fo her impeachment. Yes poor Mr Robertson has fallen off his rocker and is now repeating terrorist propoganda.
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Bensen Burner / February 28, 2013
Geoffrey Robertson is a highly respected authority in human rights law and crimes against humanity.There is very little doubt that that the Queen and the Commonwealth leaders of genuine democracies will heed his advice. Bensen
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Bensen Burner / February 28, 2013
Geoffrey Robertson is a highly respected authority in human rights law and crimes against humanity.There is very little doubt that the Queen and the Commonwealth leaders of genuine democracies will heed his advice. Bensen
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eureka / February 28, 2013
Geoffrey Robertson is a highly respected authority in human rights law and crimes against humanity. There is very little likelihood that the SYMBOLIC Queen and the Commonwealth leaders of ”democracies” will heed his advice.
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eureka / February 28, 2013
Geoffrey Robertson is a highly respected authority in human rights law and crimes against humanity. There is very little likelihood that the SYMBOLIC Queen and the Commonwealth leaders of ”democracies” will heed his advice.
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Donald J Gnanakone / February 28, 2013
I am sure the Queen and the British Government will listen to this QC and friend of Senator Seniviratne of the TGTE. lol.
Without writing such letters he should file action in the Australian courts for War Crimes against Palitha Kohonna. The Australian courts have full jurisdiction over Australian citizens.
The QC can give sensible advise to the TGTE regarding 1 million Tamils in the diaspora buying Rajapakse groceries and Tamil shop owners importing and selling them. Tamils should make the sacrifices before the Commonwealth, Americans, Europeans and Canadians consider sanctions and boycott of all Sri Lankan goods and services.
The same with the South Indians and Chief Minister JJ asking others to take action and enforce sanctions without trade union action, in airports and ports. QC can write to the South Indians as well and visit Chennai, KudanKulam and Madurai.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and not playing to the Tamil gallery.
Donald Gnanakone
Tamils For Justice
USA.
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Raja / March 2, 2013
Donald Gnanakone seems to want the SriLankan leaders and security forces punished for rescuing innocent civilians and the over 300000 Tamil hostages by eliminating the brutal Tamil Tiger terrorists. Groffrey Robertson should take action against those in the Tamil diaspora who helped the Tiger terrorists to carry out their massacres and are still trying to white wash the Tigers. In fairness to Mr Robertson, he is not defending the Tiger terrorists and the Tamil Tiger diaspora, but he is only trying to blindly defend the impeached CJ against whom there are many sereious charges.
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Donald J Gnanakone / March 2, 2013
@Raja,
You have no idea, and do not know your ass from your elbow in such matters.
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Donald J Gnanakone / February 28, 2013
Here is the article from Brisbane Times:
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/boycott-sri-lanka-robertson-urges-20130228-2f793.html
Guess who lives in Brisbane for the past 35 years????
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douglas / February 28, 2013
We know that MR fell a “prey” to a cleverly “plot” hatched in his own back yard, by his own kind. To make matters worse they got him to appoint the most questionable man as the CJ.
Never mind the “Constitutional empowerments” to impeach the CJ; but the very process of the “concocted inquiry” was a mockery of the highest order. The most “irresponsible and digrading behaviour” of those seven stoogs must be condemned world over in the name of Law and Order and Rule of Law. In that context, it is nothing but right to teach a well meaning lesson to the authorities in Sri Lanka at least by the Commonwealth Nations.
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fred / February 28, 2013
For all the respect he has otherwise earned, Geoffrey Robertson has also been known to say some silly things in his time, including asking for the prosecution of the Pope. So, this latest outburst from him comes as no surprise. It is a pity he has chosen to make hasty comments on matters which he clearly has not studied too well. Isn’t there an old saying about some people rushing in where angels fear to tread? But, don’t worry, no-one is going to take him seriously.
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kuma / February 28, 2013
Do not talk rubbish. If you know the history of the man you will not say this. He took the defence of Wickielieaks on the most difficult circumstances. He is known for his integrity and courage. He is not one appointed as PC by President Rajapakse. If he lived in Sri Lanka, he would have probably lead the Lawyers Collective!!!!!!!
Kumar
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mike / March 1, 2013
…and no one is going to take you seriously, dude!!
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fred / March 30, 2013
Geoffrey Robertson, is NOT infallible. And like so many others, after his early sensible positions, he has got carried away with his success and made some unwise statements. How sensible is he in asking for the foreign bank accounts of the 117 MPs who signed the impeachment motion to be frozen and to ban them from travelling to Britain and other Commonwealth countries? How draconian is that? Is GR seriously suggesting that their human rights will not be so violated? I can imagine how if he was on the other side of the fence’ he would have ranted and raved about the infringement of their civil rights and human rights.
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Singha Bahu / February 28, 2013
Geoffrey Ronald Robertson QC is a human rights lawyer, academic, author, broadcaster and visiting professor at Queen Mary, University of London. He is also a Rhodes Scholar.
Robertson has hosted an Australian television series of programmes called Geoffrey Robertson’s Hypotheticals.
Robertson has written several books.One of them, The Justice Game (1998) is on the school curriculum in New South Wales, Australia.
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eknaligoda / February 28, 2013
To the international community,
Please be aware that the Sri Lankan delegation to the UNHRC represent only Rajapakse gangsters who deny any breathing space to the people in this country and not the general public in this country. We are denied all fundamental democratic rights and freedom that people of the other democracies enjoy. With the removal of the CJ by force Rajapakse introduce new laws to keep those who raise their voice against his rule in custody upto 48 hours, which the lady CJ de jure, refused, when challenged before the Supreme Court. We are denied right to dissent, freedom of speech, both print and electronic media now under absolute control of Rajapakse regime.
All this time people of this country had a little faith in the Judiciary as the other two organs (legislature and Executive) is under the absolute control of Rajapakse family. However, with appointment of the cheat Mohan Peiris as head to the Executive control judiciary even that little breathing space have been denied to us.
Please, please, help us, we are helpless in the absence of opposition (right now we only have a ‘ponna’ opposition that do meet all what Rajapakse regime wanted. We are effectively stranded with no hope in sight. People belongs to all communities in this country are forced to keep their mouth shut and suffer in silence.
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AYMAN / February 28, 2013
THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT BY HOLDING THE SUMMIT HERE WILL GIVE LEGITIMACY TO A “PARIAH” STATE.
IF THE COMMONWEALTH IS GENUINELY INTERESTED IN THE WELL BEING OF SRILANKANS INCLUDING MINORITIES,
THEY SHOULD NOT STEP ON THIS STINKING SOIL.
THE QUEEN SHOULD NOT COME TO THIS “POLICE” STATE.
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Mimi / March 1, 2013
If this call gets louder, the Rajapaksa’s might, just might, get the message that we are on the brink of
becoming a pariah nation, shunned by the international community.
As usual, it will be the people of Sri Lanka who will suffer the consequences.
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Mudiyanse / March 1, 2013
People in the UK and other members in the EU Community,
We the people of Sri Lanka are effectively under siege of Rajapakse regime backed by the spineless opposition leader Wickramasinghe. We are denied all fundamental freedom and rights enjoyed by any citizens of democratic nation. We have no right to demonstrate our dissent against the absolutely corrupt lawless regime and if one dare to do so would be denied the right to life. There is no press freedom in this country. Pressmen are compelled to report selectively, things that do not harm their survival. Head of the Judiciary in whom we had a very little hope also forcibly removed and replaced with the absolutely corrupt stooge of Rajapakse making it executive controlled judiciary.
Now no one can challenge violative actions by Executive or legislature,whether they are denial of fundamental rights or other rights recognised under the law as the Executive controlled Judiciary is completely under siege and had taken away little integrity some judges had in Apex Court.
People who come and try represent the UNHCR are only represent the absolutely corrupt Rajapakse regime and in no way represent the people of Sri Lanka, who love if these corrupt cheats who destroy this country are tried elsewhere since our Judiciary is absolutely spineless.
Please, force the Govt of Sri Lanka to ratify all international instruments that are designed and introduced to protect the peoples right enabling the ‘so-called’ leaders in the failed states charged before an international tribunal. Also forced the govt of Sri Lanka to recognise all fundamental rights recognised under the UN Charter particularly right to life as in every two decade about 100,000 people of this country (belongs to the Sinhalese and Tamil Community) who try to rally round against the oppression are killed, denying their life with total impunity.
Please, do not abandon the people of this country, who are utterly helpless with no one with courage and will to come forward to protect the people from oppression.
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kali / March 1, 2013
Brother Mudiyanse,
I sympathise with you and share your despair. The so called terrorism by the LTTE has been replaced by State Terrorism headed by MR and his clan.
Help is on the way to alleviate your suffering but it is going to take some time and I hope Sri Lanka will be brought back into the League of civised Nations kicking and screaming where it belongs. But I am afraid there will be few more killings but all that will be added to the charge sheet and the final resting place for MR and his thugs is the Hague .
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laksiri / March 1, 2013
after 60 years of brutal canalization of this small country by your guys,still even in the event of normal administration matter,you are taking serious actions.if such actions were taken for corruption and public cheating why not you ask former president chandrika to be deported to sri lanka or arrest before you are talking about guys are living in sri lanka.
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Jayantha / March 1, 2013
To: Sir Goeffrey Robertson, UN.CW, EU and the International Community,
President Rajapakse and his Brothers are using their Dictatorial Power to manupulate elections, chief justice,intimidate and suppress all those who oppose them, Murder, harass and jail everybody including Journalists, reporters, media, human rights organisations, opposition parties, Internationalo community etc…etc…everybody who oppose Rajapakse Dictator.
Please listen to today’s ITN discussing with a govt.goon Prof. Nalin D. Silva who say that Sri Lanka should stop all imports and should send children to fields to grow, and change total education system while restricting all imports.
Also he is bashing the UNHCR,UN and EU as a Colonial Racist organisation.
Please listen to following video.
http://www.v2.itn.lk/
We Citizens and patriots of Sri Lanka are much concern now more than ever that President Rajapakse is taking Sri Lanka towards a Dictatorial rule and suppress similar to communist era, making people to die in hunger, starvation, suppression of freedom and free movement and spy every citizen.
MR is using all Govt.and private Media,TV, Press, publications, Govt. goon professors, economists, accountants etc,to give a false picture of economic data, cost of living and to brain wash citizen.
Since we have a weak,power hungry, 14 times loosing consecutive elections but still hang on to power by a lazy opposition leader who is a coward manupiulated by Rajapakses whom we have no faith.
Therefore we feel that is is only you who could deliver justice, freedom, democracy and true Independence to us Citizens of Sri Lanka.
Also I kindly request to International community not to commence any new Trade deals, new contracts, new business ventures, new projects with Sri Lankan government until they re-instate our legitimate Chief Justice Dr.Shirani Bandaranayake.
Also I suggest to put on hold CHOGM in Colombo, any bi-lateral trade deals, investments and loans given to Sri Lanka Govt. and a travel ban on it’s Ministers until they implement LLRC.
YOUR EARLY ATTENTION AND ACTION IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
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fred / March 1, 2013
Kumar,
GR’s CV is indeed impressive. And that is what makes his less thoughtful utterances sound so silly. Consider his call for banning the 117 MPs who signed the petition for the impeachment of the CJ, from travelling to Britain and other commonwealth countries and freezing their foreign bank accounts. I don’t know that those MPs did anything illegal in signing the petition. You could say they were foolish and did not give sufficient thought to what they were doing but being foolish is no crime. You almost expect that of SL MPs! But here we have an eminent human rights advocate asking for the fundamental right of those MPs to travel to be arbitrarily restricted. And what point is there, anyway, in asking for bans and restrictions that are not practicable. If these MPs have foreign bank accounts they are most likely to be with Swiss banks. Now, try getting hold of those accounts.
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Saman Wijesiri / March 1, 2013
Of the suggestions Queen’s Counsel Robertson makes, what appeals to me most is the one for freezing the foreign bank accounts of the scoundrels. A travel ban is also quite welcome. Aren’t these rascals globe trotting at tax payers’ expense? There should be punishment for them before Dittha Dhammavedaniya kamma takes effect!
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Darlin de Silva / March 1, 2013
It is not only the 117 members of parliament who subscribed their signatures to a motion to impeach the Chief Justice Shiranie Bandaranayake and the 07 members of parliament who declared the de jure Chief Justice of Sri Lanka as guilty of misconduct but also the others involved in this sordid deal, such as the President, the de facto Chief ustice Mohan Peiris, the President’s sibbling who vetted the report of the 07 Members of parliament should be declared as persona non grata by all the Commonwealth Nations and barred them from entering any Commonwealth Nation. They have made Sri Lanka a pariah nation.
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Muralidaran Ramesh Somasunderam / March 1, 2013
The problem, which barrister Geoffrey Robertson does not realize is that what world governments state and say extensively is something, but inwardly what they advocate and promote is anther aspect all together. The main culprit is the United Nations in this respect. Therefore talk is meaningless and the substance is in regard to action, which matters most is clouded based on many very unfortunate aspects, such as military strategy, armaments trade and money, which has been made through illicit means. The world is very much involved in it and Sri Lanka is just a tip in the iceberg, so to speak in this respect. Therefore the current government of Sri Lanka will survive to and continue to survive as long as they play ‘dirty’ politics correctly, especially to the outside world. What happens in Sri Lanka to poor Sri Lankan Tamils does not matter the least in the eyes of the so called ‘world community’. The other aspect is that all or most Singhalese believe their real enemy; the Tamils of Sri Lanka are finished forever. The Sri Lankan Tamils on the other hand, a fair deal of them curry favor with the government of Sri Lanka by telling their relatives and friends were LTTE members, when the leading people of the LTTE leadership are in the Sri Lankan Cabinet Ministers . Please keep up the good work, because we all never live forever. Everything has to come to and or at least hopefully come to an end one day. This is my candid view.
The only practical solution is for India to take Sri Lanka and govern it. It will serve the propose for decent Sri Lankans who value law and order and good governance, especially the higher civil administration and development of key infrastructure, including health, education, housing and employment creation. Otherwise Sinhalese or Tamils cannot govern for themselves as proved to date since Sri Lanka gained independence. When I refer about Tamils KI am refraining how the LTTE was formed and operated and the end result.
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Antany Peter / March 1, 2013
The Australians don’t own Australia, still they refused to acknowledge the native people. The true owners do not have even land rights in their own homeland. When it comes to fooling others nobody can beat the Westerners. The Westerners even surprise the devil. The Indians are with the Westerners, because they have a very short memory. The Indians are ignoring thier past between 1505 and 1947, it will lead to a disaster. The Indians are putting the whole Asia in danger. I know what is going on in Sri Lanka, we need a solution from the Sri Lankan leaders, it will only happen through revolution. Educating and informing the leaders is the true and effective revolution, bringing the foreigners to have a revolution will lead to a disaster.
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Jayantha / March 2, 2013
We need a revolution to get back our rights, freedom, independence and democracy from the Alibaba thieves in the parliament who are playing to the tune of yellow robe criminal beyond Imperial racist cult.
Until these two culprits are in power, there won’t be any development in our country.
We need a leader like Hon.Sir John Kotalawela to keep the thieves behind bars and dogs in it’s place before they go insane and bersac.
65 years after Independence the uneducated thughs in parliament ruined both economy, communities, health, education, minority rights etc.
All the corporations that Parliament goons run are running at Billions of rupees losses due to robbery and cheating.
If not for the private sector businesses country would have gone to dogs by now.
Wait for the next gon harak biggest white elephant project in Sri Lanka which is Mattala Rakapaka airport to open.
Per day operation, administration, logistics and maintenance 25 million rupees average………with each landing take off cost the airline a startling 2 million rupees after 10-15 minute flying from Katunayake. (4000 gallons of jet fuel x 450 rupees per gallon of JF. per each landing/take off on a transit to ME, India or other destination airline loosing 2 million rupees for fuel alone without other logistic, landing, 1.5 hour time delay, resupply etc.etc.)
This is what happens when uneducated morons rule our counrty and now they will grow tea in colombo and coconut in Nuwara eliya in Mahinda Chintana Part 4.
This happens only in Monkey land.
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Charles Perera / March 3, 2013
Please see the article -a reply to QC Geoffrey Robertson at: [Edited out]
Where I have said what the good QC Geoffrey Robertson should do now:
If you are honourable, of which I have not the least doubt QC Geoffrey Robertson, you should write back to England’s Bar Human Rights Committee, withdrawing your hasty accusation going on hearsay evidence and say that you do not see any reason why the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting should not be held in Sri Lanka as scheduled.
Charles
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Chandra / March 4, 2013
Charles,
I suggest you read the full report by Geoffrey Robertson first before you write your rebuttal.
I read your write up in that blog and thankfully it panders to the mindset of that blog and so it should remain. It’s an embarrassment to Sri Lankans. Luckily its not widely read nor taken seriously. Good luck!
Did you have access to the witnesss statements and the 1600 odd pages
of the report?
Most Sri Lankans without a doubt would agree the Impeachment motion and the way it was carried out was a farce.
Typically, some diashoras refuse to believe it.
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Charles Perera / March 5, 2013
But still his brief is incomplete. The Impeachment nevertheless cannot be contested becausse it has been done within the rules of the Constitution, and no body can interfere into an act of our legislature. The way it was carried out was in keeping with the relevant articles of the Constitution it was not a farce as interested parties would like to call it. We are a sovereign state and it is up to us to defend it.
My Blog’s popularity should not be themain concern
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Chandra / March 5, 2013
I was referring to LW
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Charles Perera / March 6, 2013
If you are frequent visitor to Tamilnet, Sri L
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Charles Perera / March 6, 2013
If you are a fan of the TamilNet, Sri Lanka Guardian, Ground View, Colombo Telegraph etc. you will of course consider Lankaweb below standard. That is your opinion.
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fred / March 7, 2013
Chandra,
I, for one, will agree with you about the impeachment motion. Not only was it farcical, it was unfair, unjust and without any regard for natural justice or a sense of fair play. In effect, the CJ was denied what even a hardened criminal would have enjoyed in a court of law.
I also agree with you about LW. It does pander to a particular mind-set which is not especially bright.
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