Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA)

Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA)

Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA)

RESOLUTION ON THE RULE OF LAW AND JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE

 IN

SRI LANKA

REFERRING to the Statements we have previously issued expressing our grave concern about the flawed impeachment process by which Chief Justice Bandaranayake was removed from the office of Chief Justice in defiance of the judgements of the highest courts in Sri Lanka

REFERRING also to the statements of concern issued by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers;

RECALLING:

the Commonwealth (Latimer House) Principles on the proper relationship between the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary;

the Commonwealth Declarations of Principles and Values as recently embodied in the Commonwealth Charter;

Sri Lanka's commitment, as a Member of the Commonwealth, to these  values;