30th
July
2012,
Colombo,
Sri
Lanka:
The
Centre
for
Policy
Alternatives
(CPA)
views
with
serious
concern,
and
condemns
in
the
strongest
possible
terms,
the
recent
incident
in
which
the
Mannar
courts
premises
was
attacked
by
a
mob,
and
the
Mannar
Magistrate
and
Additional
District
Judge
was
reportedly
threatened
verbally
by
the
Minister
of
Industries
and
Commerce,
Rishard
Bathiudeen.
The
circumstances
of
the
incident
have
been
widely
reported
in
the
media,
and
have
led
to
statements
of
condemnation
from
civil
society
organisations
and
the
professional
bodies
of
the
metropolitan
and
provincial
Bar.
Whatever
the
complexities
of
the
grievances
at
the
heart
of
the
Mannar
dispute,
under
no
circumstances
can
politically
motivated
attacks
on
judicial
institutions
be
condoned.
The
Court
of
Appeal
has
been
moved
by
several
senior
Attorneys-at-Law
to
issue
show
cause
notice
on
Minister
Bathiudeen
against
a
possible
rule
for
contempt
of
court
on
26th
July,
returnable
on
5th
September
2012.
We
are
pleased
that
the
Bar
Association
of
Sri
Lanka
(BASL)
has
associated
itself
with
this
petition.
It
has
too
often
been
the
case
in
the
recent
past
that
persons
holding
high
executive
office,
in
word
and
deed,
have
demonstrated
scant
regard
and
respect
for
the
integrity
and
independence
of
the
judiciary,
which
is
fundamental
to
the
democratic
form
of
government.
The
perception
that
the
executive
arm
supersedes
any
notion
of
checks
and
balances
must
be
arrested
forthwith.
We
also
recall
that
the
courts
have
not
hesitated
to
use
the
full
force
of
the
law
relating
to
contempt
of
court
against
lesser
transgressions
in
the
recent
past.
We
hope
therefore
that
the
proceedings
instituted
in
the
Court
of
Appeal
will
lead
to
the
perpetrators
of
the
incident
being
dealt
with
according
to
law,
and
where
guilt
or
liability
is
established,
with
the
imposition
of
appropriate
and
proportionate
punishment,
so
as
to
restore
public
confidence
in
the
rule
of
law
and
the
independence
of
the
judiciary.
###
The
Centre
for
Policy
Alternatives
(CPA)
is
an
independent,
non-partisan
organization
that
focuses
primarily
on
issues
of
governance
and
conflict
resolution.
Formed
in
1996
in
the
firm
belief
that
the
vital
contribution
of
civil
society
to
the
public
policy
debate
is
in
need
of
strengthening,
CPA
is
committed
to
programmes
of
research
and
advocacy
through
which
public
policy
is
critiqued,
alternatives
identified
and
disseminated.
For
more
information,
please
subscribe
to
our
Twitter
feed
(www.twitter.com/CPASL)
or
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us
on
Facebook
(www.facebook.com/CPASL)
Christos D. Dedes Christos D. Dedes, as Legal Custodian for His Children Quincy Sophia Dedes and Dionysios Christos Dedes All Parents Similarly Situated v. Roswell Page John O'BriOn Murray J. Janus Sylvia Clute Donald Lemons Alfred Shilling Daniel T. Balfour Melvin R. Hughes, Honor Able, Judge of the Circuit Court in the City of Richmond Richard L. Williams, Honorable, Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Christos D. Dedes Christos D. Dedes, as Legal Custodian for His Children Quincy Sophia Dedes and Dionysios Christos Dedes, and All Parents Similarly Situated v. Roswell Page John O'BriOn Murray J. Janus Sylvia Clute Donald Lemons Alfred Shilling Daniel T. Balfour Melvin R. Hughes, Judge of the Circuit Court in the City of Richmond Richard L. Williams, Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 46 F.3d 1123, 4th Cir. (1995)