The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka on Monday (16) ordered that a lawyer practicing in Kekirawa be removed from the roll of attorneys after finding her guilty of violating professional ethics.
The court also convicted the lawyer of contempt of court for violating a previous order issued in relation to the same matter. She was sentenced to one year in prison, which was suspended for five years.
In addition, the court imposed a fine of Rs. 25,000, with a further six-month jail term to be imposed if the fine is not paid.
The order was delivered by Supreme Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda with the concurrence of Justices Arjuna Obeyesekere and Priyantha Fernando.
The charges were filed by the Attorney General’s Department after the lawyer was accused of removing and damaging two pages of a case file during proceedings at the Kekirawa Magistrate’s Court on July 27, 2023.
The Supreme Court had earlier issued an interim order preventing the lawyer from practicing law until the inquiry into the allegations was concluded.
However, a complaint was later filed alleging that the lawyer had continued to engage in legal practice despite the court order, prompting the Attorney General to file additional charges of contempt of court.
Although the respondent initially pleaded not guilty, she later admitted to the charges during the proceedings.
In its ruling, the three-judge bench said the conduct amounted to a serious violation of the professional ethics expected of attorneys and ordered the Registrar of the Supreme Court to remove her name from the roll of attorneys.
The court also directed that the decision be communicated to the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the Kekirawa District Judge.
The court further ordered the respondent to appear before the Police Criminal Records Division to provide fingerprints. (Newswire)