The Free Lawyers Organization (FLO) has opposed reported plans to summon BBC Sinhala journalists before the Parliamentary Privileges Committee, warning that such a move would undermine constitutionally guaranteed rights and revive an outdated parliamentary practice.
In a statement issued today (22), the organization said reports initially indicated that the summons had been withdrawn, but information circulating on social media later suggested that the committee intended to proceed with calling the journalists over their reporting on an incident involving Ven. Pallegama Hemarathana Thero.
The FLO said the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus was established to protect the rights, dignity and socio-economic advancement of women, and not to restrict the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution.
The organization also recalled legal concerns raised when former Ravaya Editor Victor Ivan was summoned before a Parliamentary Select Committee in 1992, arguing that the same concerns remain relevant today.
It questioned whether any proceedings before the Parliamentary Privileges Committee would guarantee due process, including a fair and impartial hearing, formally framed charges, the right to cross-examine witnesses, legal representation, and a legally established procedure empowering the committee to function as a judicial or quasi-judicial body.
“In the absence of clear and satisfactory answers to these fundamental questions, no journalist or media institution should be compelled to appear before the Parliamentary Privileges Committee,” the statement said.
The FLO further stressed that the principle that “no person should be a judge in his or her own cause” is a cornerstone of natural justice and urged Parliament not to revive what it described as regressive practices.
The organization also welcomed the National Child Protection Authority’s decision to conduct a proper investigation into the incident, while stressing that the public’s constitutional right to receive information must not be obstructed under any circumstances. (Newswire)
