The ICJ has submitted information to the UN Human Rights Committee in advance of its examination of Sri Lanka’s fifth periodic report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The ICJ submission draws the Committee’s attention to issues concerning Sri Lanka’s obligations under article 14 of the ICCPR through actions that undermine the independence and impartiality of the judiciary and thus impede the access of everyone to competent, independent and impartial tribunals established by law.
The submission focuses in particular on the unfair and illegal impeachment proceedings against former Chief Justice Bandaranayake followed by the politicized appointment of her successor Mohan Peiris, the continued undue restrictions faced by Dr Bandaranayake, and a series of other incidents against judges and lawyers in the country that took place around the impeachment proceedings.
The Committee will examine Sri Lanka’s fifth periodic report during its 112th session in October 2014, following which it will adopt Concluding Observations setting out recommendations to the Government.
SriLanka-HRCttee112-LegalSubmission-2014 (download full submission in PDF)