Lanka orders judge to attend impeachment case

Sri Lanka's parliament has ordered the country's top judge to attend an impeachment hearing on Friday after rejecting her appeal for more time to prepare a defence.

An 11-member parliamentary panel dominated by members of President Mahinda Rajapakse's coalition declined Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake's request for six weeks to respond to 14 charges in the impeachment motion.

"The PSC (Parliamentary Select Committee) in a majority decision asked the Chief Justice to be present at the opening of a hearing on Friday at the parliament," an MP who declined to be named told AFP on Monday.

The 54-year-old chief justice has already denied financial wrongdoing alleged in the impeachment case brought by the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance. She has vowed to remain in office and defend her name.

The charge sheet, first presented to parliamentary Speaker Chamal Rajapakse who is also the president's eldest brother, was formally handed over to Bandaranayake last week.

Legal sources say she has refused to step aside pending the end of the impeachment process.

The impeachment move followed a decision last month by the Supreme Court to effectively scupper a bill giving more powers to the economic development minister, who is the president's younger brother Basil.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, last week urged Colombo to "reconsider" the impeachment of Bandaranayake, the island's first woman chief justice.

"I urge the Sri Lanka government to take immediate and adequate measures to ensure the physical and mental integrity of members of the judiciary," Knaul said.

The United States has also raised concerns over the impeachment while Sri Lankan lawyers have united in urging the authorities to ensure "due process" in any action against judges.

Rights groups have said the impeachment motion was the latest sign of efforts by President Rajapakse to tighten his grip on power after crushing the Tamil Tiger separatist rebels in 2009 at the end of a decades-long war.

The ruling party has more than the required 113 votes in parliament to sack the chief justice.

 

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