After juggling with several options for over three weeks, President Maithripala Sirisena has recommended Supreme Court judge Nalin Perera’s name as his candidate for the post of Chief Justice, Colombo Telegraph learns.
Nalin Jayalath Perera
Perera, appointed a Supreme Court judge by President Sirisena, is the 06th in seniority in a 10-judge bench.
It is learnt that Sirisena has overlooked Eva Wanasundara, the senior-most Supreme Court judge, at the last moment due to the strong public outcry against her nomination, over her alleged connections with the Rajapaksa family.
Perera’s name was the only nomination received by the Council as of Thursday night.
The Council is scheduled to meet tomorrow to make a final decision on the appointment of Chief Justice. The decision will then be conveyed to President Sirisena who will subsequently make a final announcement.
The new Chief Justice is expected to take oaths on Saturday as the incumbent Chief Justice Piyasath Depp will retire from office tomorrow.
“Perera is a relatively better choice despite his lack of seniority. He is a career judge and has not exposed himself to politically compromising situations. It is not too sure whether it is the only nomination. If that is the case, President Sirisena seems to be playing his cards very close to the chest. He has finally decided to go for the safest option without ruffling feathers, ” a source familiar with the matter told Colombo Telegraph.
Related pots:
MR’s Law College Friend Eva Wanasundara Now Front-Runner In Chief Justice Race
Good Sense / October 12, 2018
Yes! Did we get to know all the antics of the current IGP before he was appointed the IGP. All those who wanted him appointed had very good words for him. But what happened? We made an unconventional appointment with respect to the AG. But later on we complain that his office is the same old office. HE is entitled to make a nomination to the CC. Later on don’t complain and learn to accept responsibility for HIS action.
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shankar / October 12, 2018
good sense
“the antics of the current IGP”
what are the antics?Can you list them.I only know of him shirt fronting a lift operator.
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kolla / October 12, 2018
These judges from the Attorney Generals Department like Sarath Silva , Mohan Peiris , Eva Wanasundera have played politics and disgraced the ideal of the judiciary. Sarath Silva later even apologized to the people for doing wrong things as a judge.
Aluvihara prosecuted General Sarath Fonseka and as a reward was made a judge by Gotabaya Rajapakse. The present government made Sarath Fonseka a Field Marshall.
There is another judge who was in the staff of Basil Rajapakse.This is how they get to the supreme Court. Another judge after retiring was made adviser to Mahinda Rajapakse getting a good salary. Did he judge well when he was in the supreme Court ?
These Attorney General guys get seniority by jumping to the Supreme court as young State Counsel.
As State Counsel they help politicians and become their sponsors.But the Attorney General’s Department is a bottle neck of the legal system where files accumulate.
In every case the police say the file is with the Attorney General.In many civil cases their advise is faulty and the government is paralyzed due to unworkable legal opinions.
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Plato. / October 12, 2018
President Sirisena has passed a vote of No-Confidence on the 5 Judges senior to Justice Nalin Perera.
Perhaps he has read the Personal files of those Judges.
MaRa claimed to have a File on MS?
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Wera / October 12, 2018
So Eva got a kick ane paw for all the morons that thought they can get her to be CJ and dance the devil thereafter.
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Annesley Dias / October 12, 2018
Whatever said and done President Sirisena is a man of peace and honesty without any issues so far
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chiv / October 12, 2018
I do not know much about him and his credentials to become the CJ. If the facts are correct well and good. I also noticed Duminda ,s appeal has been rejected and his conviction is confirmed. If true that will be the first in Lankan history where a criminal politician is found guilty and serve sentence. Still it is premature to expect that to happen. Though I have mixed feeling about death penalty in Duminda,s case there is nothing to regret or be remorse. When a person has killed many peoples lives/hopes/future it should be considered as Euthanasia and not death penalty. But then again things can always change and he can be found innocent . After all we live in a miracle country where miracles take place frequently in Lankan politics. I hear Duminda has significant supporters ????. A criminal is usually supported by other criminals and not by supporters.What a MIRACLE ??????
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Gamini / October 12, 2018
Why Sunil Ranjan Jayakody
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Sinhala_Man / October 12, 2018
Dear Good Sense,
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Yes, we voice opinions with little knowledge of details. It is good that we voice common sense concerns, but we must then accept that we are the people who said things.
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Most of us have heard of Montesquieu’s theory of separation of powers, and were taught in Primary School that executive, legislature, and judiciary must be kept separate with each balancing excesses of the other two. In this country, the problem is that we appear to have lost faith in all three.
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However, I have seen three things on the net today: 1. The last Chief Justice who rose from Magistrate to CJ, going through all levels, was Parinda Ranasinghe, thirty years ago. I remember hearing him frequently praised; this suggests that Nalin Perera, with a similar record, will be sound, although only sixth of ten in seniority.
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2. I don’t know the background of the current Chief Justice of the United States, but see his statement reported today: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2018/10/11/chief-justice-roberts-requests-tenth-circuit-to-investigate-kavanaugh-ethics-questions/#7be7d5921877
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3. I’ve been following the circus in tiny Maldives closely, having worked there. So many candidates for Presidency jailed and disqualified from contesting the recent elections. The Chief Justice makes a ruling in that regard in February this year; the Executive Convicts and Jails HIM! The coup against Nasheed in 2012, plus a long jail term for him after a rigged election which he lost, was on the grounds that he had got the corrupt Chief Judge of the Criminal Court (this Judge had been many been falsely termed the Chief Justice) arrested for a day. Now I see this report: https://raajje.mv/en/news/42346.
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I have given some facts, some mere opinions; readers must check, and weigh them respectively. So, yes, I think this appointment would be better than that of Rajapaksa’s friend.
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shankar / October 12, 2018
sinhala_man
I too believe Nalin perera will be a good chief justice.Seniority is not the way to go.If that was adopted the war against the LTTE will be still continuing.Fonseka was appointed on merit and he went on to make appointments on merit,not seniority.
laksman Kathirgamar also appointed career diplomats only for senior appointments.It was the best foreign service we ever had and got the LTTE proscribed.A guy like liyanage would have had no chance of being appointed.
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Samson Gunawardhana / October 12, 2018
Shankar,
what matters the seniority if they behave incapable. That proves our President the elected betraying us 6.3 millions of voter eligibles:
I believe, nothing will change in the system with the new CJ, so long Executive President stays mum regarding all the grave pledges he himself made before coming to power. I cant see anyone is right abusing the people s mandate.
This country has been taken to a stalemate by past and present presidents. They are given the chance to make a real change, but they just tame or too much spineless when it goes to make due reforms.
This country and nation offer that much with their social indicators being that high comparable to other developing nations, but just lag not having enforced proper law and order systems.
See, where we live in Germany, almost everyone is bound to law. If we would not stay away not paying our taxes, what would have been the case is, jail sessions.
If alone with garbage reccyling, if I would deny doing so as is the nature with others, the society alone would stand against.
So is the case in S pore and Switzerland. I have lived there too.
All in all, these systems are mandadory if human beings to be disiplined and tamed. Then only civilization would become part of the society.
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Lanka / October 12, 2018
It is matter of time ; she will be promoted as and when MR comes to power..
Dirty politics can do anything in Sri Lanka ..
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K.Pillai / October 12, 2018
A welcome departure from past practices. But why does MS nominate?
The CC may consult the retiring CJ and perhaps a few judges in the lower tier.
This ‘independent judiciary’ thingy must start from the top.
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Pardon me for my ignorance. Who are in the CC? Have they met at all?
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Upali / October 12, 2018
Whoever appointed the old lady with the scales is watching them. All wrong doers will be punished by their own conscience beating them to death.So why should we the ordinary people waste time on this.Endeavor to earn rupees 2500 a month a good life is guaranteed with 45 loafs of bread we can buy with that. We can live with bread alone.
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