{"id":72445,"date":"2013-02-05T10:39:18","date_gmt":"2013-02-05T10:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=72445"},"modified":"2013-02-13T01:46:56","modified_gmt":"2013-02-13T01:46:56","slug":"restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Restore Judicial Independence&#8217; &#8211; American Bar urges Rajapaksa"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\">Colombo Telegraph<\/a><\/span> &#8211;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The American Bar Association urges the President Rajapaksa to restore judicial independence in Sri Lanka, to heed the rulings of the Supreme Court and other judicial authorities and respect the essential role of the judiciary in a democratic society.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The American Bar Association last week wrote to the President <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Mahinda+Rajapaksa&amp;x=12&amp;y=3\">Mahinda Rajapaksa<\/a><\/span> the Colombo Telegraph can reveal today.<\/p>\n<p>We publish below the letter in full;<\/p>\n<p>January 24, 2013<\/p>\n<p>H.E. Mahinda Percy Rajapaksa<\/p>\n<p>President, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka<\/p>\n<p>Presidential Secretariat<\/p>\n<p>Colombo 01.<\/p>\n<p>Sri Lanka<\/p>\n<p>Mr. President:<\/p>\n<p>The American Bar Association (ABA) is gravely concerned about the independence of the judiciary in Sri Lanka, particularly as concerns the impeachment proceedings against the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Shirani+Bandaranayake&amp;x=5&amp;y=5\">Chief Justice<\/a><\/span> of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka found by that court to be unconstitutional, the removal of the Chief Justice from office despite the unconstitutionality of the proceedings and her replacement by an Executive Branch official.<\/p>\n<p>The ABA is an independent, non-governmental organization representing more than 413,000 members worldwide. It regards the rule of law as the cornerstone of a free and fair society. It has a longstanding commitment to supporting the rule of law in the United States and abroad.<\/p>\n<p>Numerous international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, hold judicial independence and human rights indispensable to the just rule of law.<\/p>\n<p>Without an impartial judiciary, governmental claims of commitment to democracy and the rule of law ring hollow. The ABA therefore respectfully urges you to restore judicial independence in Sri Lanka, to heed the rulings of the Supreme Court and other judicial authorities and respect the essential role of the judiciary in a democratic society.<\/p>\n<p>Sincerely,<\/p>\n<p>Laurel G. Bellows<\/p>\n<p>cc: Hon. Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State<\/p>\n<p>Hon. Michele J. Sison, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka<\/p>\n<p>Hon. Jaliya Wickramasuriya, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to H.E. the President<\/p>\n<p>Professor Gamini Lakshman Peiris, Minister of External Affairs<\/p>\n<p>Emily Fleckner, Sri Lanka Country Desk Office<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read the Original letter <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/ABA-letter.pdf\">here<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":72447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2187,1,2375],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-most-popular","category-news","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>&#039;Restore Judicial Independence&#039; - American Bar urges Rajapaksa - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&#039;Restore Judicial Independence&#039; - American Bar urges Rajapaksa - Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-02-05T10:39:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2013-02-13T01:46:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Laurel-G.-Bellows.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"250\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"369\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/\",\"name\":\"'Restore Judicial Independence' - American Bar urges Rajapaksa - Colombo Telegraph\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Laurel-G.-Bellows.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-02-05T10:39:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2013-02-13T01:46:56+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Laurel-G.-Bellows.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Laurel-G.-Bellows.jpg\",\"width\":\"250\",\"height\":\"369\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"&#8216;Restore Judicial Independence&#8217; &#8211; American Bar urges Rajapaksa\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\",\"name\":\"Colombo Telegraph\",\"description\":\"In journalism truth is a process\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3\",\"name\":\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/colombo_telegraph\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"'Restore Judicial Independence' - American Bar urges Rajapaksa - Colombo Telegraph","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"'Restore Judicial Independence' - American Bar urges Rajapaksa - Colombo Telegraph","og_description":"[&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/","og_site_name":"Colombo Telegraph","article_published_time":"2013-02-05T10:39:18+00:00","article_modified_time":"2013-02-13T01:46:56+00:00","og_image":[{"width":250,"height":369,"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Laurel-G.-Bellows.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/","name":"'Restore Judicial Independence' - American Bar urges Rajapaksa - Colombo Telegraph","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Laurel-G.-Bellows.jpg","datePublished":"2013-02-05T10:39:18+00:00","dateModified":"2013-02-13T01:46:56+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Laurel-G.-Bellows.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Laurel-G.-Bellows.jpg","width":"250","height":"369"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/restore-judicial-independence-american-bar-urges-rajapaksa\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"&#8216;Restore Judicial Independence&#8217; &#8211; American Bar urges Rajapaksa"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/","name":"Colombo Telegraph","description":"In journalism truth is a process","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3","name":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH"},"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/colombo_telegraph\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Laurel-G.-Bellows.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72445"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72454,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72445\/revisions\/72454"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}