      |
|
President
of Retired Judges Assn. says |
|
President of Retired Judges Assn. says The appointment of sitting superior court judges to Commissions of Inquiry is an unhealthy practice which should be dispensed with in the interest of justice. It's embarrassing for a appellate court judge to hear writs in which a brother judge is cited as a respondent, President of the Association of Retired Judges, A. C. Alles said yesterday. Addressing the annual general meeting of the association at the Supreme Court complex, he said that President Kumaratunga had assured that the government will not interfere with the independence of the judiciary even if judgements are given against the state. It's important that this spirit be given expression, he added. The appointment of sitting superior court judges to Commissions of Inquiry is an unhealthy practice for when an individual seeks a writ and cites him as a respondent it would greatly embarrass the appellate court. He claimed that the stream of justice is polluted and stagnant. Even lawyers, in the interest of their clients have to seek favours from minor courts employees. It's scandalous to have four thousand non-summary inquiries pending. Justice delayed or justice postponed affects not the powerful or the affluent. It affects only the poor litigant, Mr. Alles observed. Professor G. L. Peiris recognised as a very intellectual person by schools of learning Prof. Peiris as Justice Minister would admit that he had no practical knowledge of what is happening in Courts, about the infrastructure and matter of that nature for he is a stranger. He is saddled with two important Ministries, Finance and Judiciary for democracy thrives only on a stable economy and on respect for the law. This little Atlas, on his not very broad shoulders, is saddled with two pillars, which is too heavy a burden to a stranger to politics, he said. It must he said that the sitting judges have delivered forthright judgements in recent times displaying an independence of the judiciary, he said. Secretary A. L. M. Fernando in his annual report stated as follows: To ensure expeditious disposal of Civil and Criminal Trials in the Original Courts we have proposed appointment of a Judicial Officer to each District Court designated as a Recorder as in the U.K. This is a novel feature and the Association considers that it is an experiment worthy of being given a trial to ensure a more efficient and expeditious disposal of Civil Litigation. The Members of the Association many of whom have been District Judges are aware of the great deal of the time expended by the Court in what has been referred Calling Cases most of which are of an Administrative nature. If these functions can be taken up by a Lawyer aspiring for Judicial Office it will not only assist him in training him to become a competent Judicial Officer but also greatly relieve the Trial Judge who can concentrate in their Judicial functions and assist in the expeditious disposal of Cases. We have also recommended that non-summary proceedings in Courts be discontinued. It has been stated that presently there are 4000 non-summary inquiries pending. The Association is of the view that the appointment of a Public Prosecutor with an adequate Staff should be reintroduced to expedite all Criminal Trials and relieve the litigants of great hardship and unnecessary expense. We have proposed that the provision in the Administration of Justice Law No. 44 of 1973 relating to non-summary inquiries be reintroduced. We have also made representations for the enhancement of Pensions to Retired Judges. We have urged that the pensions payable to all Retired Judicial Officers should be computed on the prevailing salary structure governing all Judicial Officers. We have shown great concern over news items that have been appearing in the Media about Sitting Judges which is derogatory of the entire Judicial Services past and present. The Committee viewed with concern the news item that appeared in banner headline in the .Sunday Observer. of the 7th June 1998, under the heading .Accused U.N.P. Politico had dinner with High Court Judge.. The Members expressed their views on this matter and it was the unanimous view of the Committee that appropriate action should be taken as it seriously affected the administration of Justice and the independence of the Judicial. We have requested the Chief Justice to hold an inquiry into this matter and to take deterrent action if the information is false. We have also requested that if investigations were to disclose that the news item was justified that the Judge be dealt with an appropriate manner. We have also written to the Association of the High Court Judges inquires as to what action the Association has taken with regard to this matter. We have also expressed our concern over the publications of the .Ravaya. of 27th September 1998 and 4th October 1998 with banner head lines of .serious. allegation of rape against Mr. Lenin Ratnayake, Magistrate, Baddegama. We have taken up these matters with the Judicial Services Commission and we have heen informed that the Judicial Services Commission has considered these matters and is taking appropriate action. The Committee also discussed at length as regard to what stand the Association is to take with regard to the arrest of Mr. Mahanama Tillakaratna Judge of the High Court. As the Court case challenging the arrest is pending the Committee decided to await its outcome. With regard to such Media Reports the Committee considered the desirability of filing papers in the Supreme Court when allegations of this nature are to be made in the future, Mr. Fernando concluded. Treasurer S. Kadawatharachchi submitted the Treasurer.s Report. Mahaweli Authority unable to monitor
'natural disasters' of dams The Mahaweli Authority does not have the necessary advanced system to monitor possible "high level natural disasters" pertaining to the huge dams on the accelerated Mahaweli project reservoirs, Director, Headworks Administration and Operations Division, Mahaweli Authority, S.Karunaratne told the Public Hearing of the World Commission on Dams at the BMICH. The World Bank funded World Commission concluded its two day hearings of submissions of the Asian region late last week. Despite the possibilities of natural disasters causing "catastrophic actions, they could not be anticipated with the present monitoring system of the Mahaweli Authority, which can only make predictions up to a certain level," he said. Formulation of post disaster management systems would be helpful to handle such situations and the public made safe on the degree of action measures taken on post disaster mitigatory actions, Mr. Karunaratne noted. Environmental issues such as water quality management, sedimentation activities and peripheral degradation have been encountered after completion of high dams and unanticipated future threats may cause severe impacts on dams, he said. The Director said that if there was a failure at the dam upstream, "a catastrophic disaster may occur in highly populated urban areas down stream." "Sri Lanka is fortunate as it is not in a seismic prone area. But a few minor tremors occurred around major reservoirs after impoundment of such major reservoirs causing alarm among the public. All the major dams have been constructed considering all necessary parameters including seismic factors. Several types of instruments have been installed in the bodies of the dams and their foundations for periodic monitoring purposes. A systematic and intensified maintenance schedule for dams is performed with service of inspections, including a third party of consultants, he said. The establishment of a modern remote sensing system with warning signals for downstream of major dams to monitor their behaviour has also been proposed, Mr. Karunaratne observed. He said that around 11,114 families have been resettled following the implementation of the two major reservoirs, Victoria and Kotmale, which had caused "immense social unrests while integrating with pre-settled downstream communities. Even today they have their grievances on mismatched resettlement patterns and original comforts they had in their ancestral lands, he added. Ship in Trinco with 1200 people 'Lanka Muditha' arrived at Trincomalee on Saturday morning from Kankesanturai with 1200 passengers from Jaffna peninsula. The vessel sailed back to Kankesanthurai in the evening on the same day carrying 1049 passengers for Jaffna. Of this, 782 are Jaffna residents who had booked the passage earlier and 267 are Jaffna refugees who were brought from Mannar and kept at the 3rd Mile Post Refugee Camp at Uppuveli. The ship is expected back in Trincomalee during the course of next week. Futuristic exhibits at mini science park Sri Lanka's first ever mini science park will be opened by Minister of Science and Technology, Batty Weerakoon this morning. This mini science park, displays over twenty futuristic science exhibits of the next millennium will be one of the special features of this year's annual sessions of Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science. The park which is constructed adjoining the SLAAS headquarters, Colombo is build at a cost of over Rs. three lakhs and consists of exhibits valued over Rs. one lakh. The Association which will be celebrating its 54th annual sessions today and tomorrow has organised an array of scientific events for the interest of the public. Among these are a series of public seminars, an exhibition and a technical session giving scientists the opportunity of presenting their work at these sessions. President of SLAAS, Prof. A. de S. Indraratne, told a press conference recently that the overall objective of the commemorative programmes was to take science to the general public. Through educating them the advantages of modern science could be passed on to them, he added. Prof. Indraratne said that the "International Symposium on Globalisation and South Asia; Retrospect and Prospects" will be held at the University of Sri Jayewardenapura, Nugegoda on December 15 and 16, while public lectures are to be delivered by experts from USA, UK and India from December 15 to 17 at the University of Sri Jayewardenapura. He pointed out that the science park which will be opened to the public from today itself, is targeted at educating the children and youth on science through entertainment. "The measures taken to popularise science among people is not limited only to lectures and handouts, but it is to encourage learning science through participation. Technology for health care to be
discussed at International Medical Congress KANDY: The fourth International Medical Congress organised by the Peradeniya Medical School Alumni Association (PeMS AA) and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya is scheduled to be held at Peradeniya from Wednesday (Dec. 16) to Friday. The venue will be the Plant Genetic Resources Centre (PGRC), Gannoruwa. German Amb assador in Sri Lanka Helmut Van Ediq will inaugurate the Congress at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Prof. Shanthi Mendis, Chairperson, Cong ress Committee told a media conference that the theme of the Congress will be "Technology for Health Care beyond AD 2000." Recalling the history of the Congress, Prof. Mendis said that the first International Congress was held in 1992. The programme for the Congress this year, which is the fourth in the series, is vital because it covers a wide range of health-related issues. Several workshops transferring technology in various aspects of health care will be conducted by experts from UK, USA and Hong Kong. The Congress lecture titled, "Pain and Pain Research: A Birds Eye View" will be delivered by Dr. Lal Gunasekera, Consultant Neuro Surgeon, UK. The afternoon session of the workshop on Thursday Dec. 17 is open to the public. The workshop on Ischemic heart diseases will be held at the Physiology theatre of the Faculty of Medicine, Peradeniya Prof. Mendis explained. Prof. Nimal Senanayake, Dean Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Dr. Neil Halpe, Dr. Ananda Jayasinghe and Gamini Butpitiya, Mr. K. T. de Silva were also present at the news conference. Angry
dayakayas kill monk MATALE - A group of angry dayakayas last Friday (11) killed Navula Thalagoda Thero (69) after he allegedly threw acid on them, police said. Police said that the monk had been attacked with stones. The monk had attacked at least four dayakayas with acid following an altercation over setting up of death donation society. One of them had suffered serious injuries. He had been admitted to Kandy hospital. Police had arrested 19 persons in connection with the killing. Singaporean arrested for alleged heroin
smuggling A Singaporean national who allegedly attempted to smuggle in 4.2 kilogrammes of heroin with a street value of Rs. 6 million was taken into custody by the Customs at the Bandaranaike International Airport early yesterday. Wrapped in a polythene bag, the 'brown sugar' heroin was found inside the luggage of the suspect who had arrived from Madras aboard an Air Lanka flight. The detection was made by Assistant Superintendent of Customs A. L. M. A. Naseer. The suspect was handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau for further investigations. Chief Sangha Nayake passes away The Chief Sangha Nayake of Colombo and patron and organiser of the islandwide Dharmadutha organisation and chief incumbent of the Pugoda Dharmadutha Centre,the Most Ven. Weeraketiye Kaveeshwara Thera passed away.He was 85 years old at the time of his demise. Cremation will take place on Thursday Dec. 17 at Nugegoda, Nawala road grounds. Drunken soldiers run amok over woman Eight persons were injured in a bomb attack following an abortive attempt by two persons described by police as army personnel, to abduct a woman on the Kiribathgoda-Wattala new road on Saturday afternoon. The injured were a woman and seven others who were passing that area at the time of the clash, police said. The two soldiers who police say were under the influence of liquor had on seeing a woman in a near-by house attempted to drag her away. She had raised cries and run for help to a near-by saw mill. This had led to a clash between the two army men and those at the saw mill. The soldiers had retreated, but minutes later come in a three-wheeler and flung two hand grenades in the direction of the saw mill. Eight pedestrians who were caught up in the twin blasts sustained injuries, according to police. Wattala police have arrested a soldier and another person in this connection. The other soldier is still absconding. Further investigations are continuing under the direction of OIC, Chief Inspector R. M. J. Camillus and Inspector Samann Siegera, OIC (Crimes). Passenger
in bus with bomb A passenger in a bus plying from Batticaloa to Trincomalee was found carrying a bomb. The detection was made by policemen manning the Manampitiya checkpoint, police said. The suspect is employed at a saw mill in Batticaloa, police investigations had revealed. Five employees of this saw mill have been taken into police custody following the discovery of the bomb. Police are trying to ascertain why the suspect was taking the bomb to Trincomalee. |
|
 |
|