A Statement by the Right to Life Human Rights Centre
The recent volatile confrontation near the Mount Lavinia Court, involving the alleged assault of a lawyer by a police officer, the alleged verbal abuse of the police by a senior lawyer, the subsequent remand of the officer, and the opposition to mediation by the police, represents a dangerous nadir for Sri Lanka’s justice system. The resulting social media campaigns, which have aggressively attempted to vilify one section to favour the other, have severely damaged the public reputation of both the Police and the Legal Profession. This unnecessary controversy distracts from their fundamental roles and fuels a profound crisis of public trust.
As the Right to Life Human Rights Centre, whose mandate is centred on fundamental human rights, particularly the prevention of torture and custodial abuse, we urge the pillars of justice—Police, Judges, and Lawyers—to immediately reflect on their vital responsibilities. Your authority is derived solely from your commitment to safeguarding human rights and ensuring dignity for every citizen. Any action, whether physical assault or professional misconduct, that compromises this commitment is an assault on justice itself. We demand that all involved maintain the highest standards of professionalism and cease generating further controversy.
This dispute has also glaringly highlighted systemic failures plaguing our legal infrastructure: the persistent lack of adequate court facilities, crippling justice delay, and the urgent need for accelerating legal procedures using modern technology.
We demand that the National Police Commission (NPC) and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) immediately assume their statutory and moral obligations. They must actively mediate and resolve this issue with mutual respect, ensuring that accountability is met without sacrificing institutional integrity. The focus must shift from internal conflict to uniting forces to guarantee swift, fair, and torture-free justice for all Sri Lankans.