Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe questioned whether the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) is acting to protect a particular group, saying he would be “very happy” to see the association issue a statement regarding former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe or his son.
“We will see whether this is genuine or whether these actions are being taken to protect one particular class,” Abeysinghe said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister confirmed that the Government intends to introduce constitutional amendments to increase the retirement age of judges, noting that a constitutional amendment is required for changes relating to the judiciary, while other reforms could be implemented at the ministerial level.
Abeysinghe also commented on the recent controversial remarks made in Parliament by NPP MP Asitha Niroshana, saying he did not believe Niroshana had made the claims merely by hiding behind parliamentary privilege and that further details should be sought from the MP himself. (Newswire)