The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has decided to boycott all judicial activities across the country tomorrow (16) in protest against the brutal murder of lawyer Buddhika Mallawarachchi and his wife in Akuregoda, Pelawatte.
The decision was taken at a special general meeting of the Bar Association held last evening — the first such meeting in 14 years.
The meeting was convened following a decision by the Executive Council last Saturday to call an emergency gathering of the entire membership to decide on the course of action in response to the murder.
Addressing the media, BASL President Attorney-at-Law Rajeev Amarasuriya stated that the General Council unanimously adopted four key decisions. Accordingly, all lawyers in courts islandwide will withdraw from professional activities tomorrow as a mark of protest.
He further said that the Association also decided to:
* Urge the government to end the prevailing culture of violence in the country and ensure public safety.
* Call upon the police and public security authorities to immediately arrest all those responsible for this heinous crime and initiate legal action.
* Express strong displeasure over the circulation of unverified information by the police and other relevant parties, and the presentation of such information as factual.
More than 3,000 lawyers participated in the general meeting held yesterday. Due to limited space at the venue, many members joined the meeting via Zoom.
Senior Lawyer Rajeev Amarasuriya noted that the last general meeting of this nature was held in 2012 during the impeachment of then Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake.
He further stated that lawyers are currently facing numerous challenges that prevent them from practicing their profession in accordance with the Constitution, and emphasized that the relevant authorities must take immediate action to address the situation.
