No room for foreign judges says President Sirisena | Sunday Observer

No room for foreign judges says President Sirisena

26 February, 2017

President Maitripala Sirisena yesterday reiterated that he has put an end to the arguments and discussions over the issue of bringing foreign judges for the proposed judicial mechanism to investigate the allegations of war crime and human rights violations by convincing the international authorities and its leaders that such process is not needed in Sri Lanka.

Addressing a ceremony in Polonnaruwa new town after laying the foundation stone for a court complex in Polonnaruwa, President Sirisena pointed out that he had conveyed this message to UN Secretary General, High Commissioner of the UNHRC and also to the leaders of the powerful nations in the West.

“According to the legal framework of the country and constitution of our country there is no room to bring any foreign judges to Sri Lanka to hear any case. If we are to bring them here we need to change the laws and also the Constitution of the country,” he added. The President said that the judges of Sri Lanka in terms of education, intelligence, knowledge and experience are not second to other judges in the world and they are capable of handling any issue locally or internationally.

Therefore, there is no necessity to obtain the service of foreign judges to hear the cases about Sri Lanka he added.

He said the Government will improve the standards of the judiciary and the judges of the country. 

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