2011 : Make Law the King

by Harshi C. Perera

File Photo

(January 04, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) In December 2010, the judiciary of Israel set a good example for a country, which like Sri Lanka has experienced an exceptional collapse of the rule of law. Former Israel president, Mosh Catsave was charged and convicted by an Israeli court for rape and other offences. We have to absorb good without considering the background of it.

The verdict of the Israeli Court compels us to think about the situation which prevails in our country. The present situation, especially the condition of rule of law and the behavior of its honorable guardians, make us feel uneasy. A couple of months ago there were critical allegations against a judge who sexually abused an innocent woman. Unlike in Israel, no inquiry was held into the matter. As usual there was a great silence from the general masses which allowed for the particular judge to take time and allow the public to forget the grave allegation.

These days the popular topic among legal profession is the malpractices in Public Examinations and the survival of a student who complained about the leakage of final year exam paper before the commencement of the examination. Now the life of this student is in danger. Does this not show the erosion of the law in a most bewildering way?

Our constitution and our supreme law recognize the right to freedom of expression which is a fundamental human right. But it was revealed in the media recently that during a ceremony held in the North, in which the chief guest was the prime minister, students whose mother Tongue is Tamil were forced to sing the National Anthem in Sinhala.

Guardians of the law, the police, use torture when conducting investigations into crimes. Most of the parents have to commit a crime by offering bribes to the school authorities to find a seat in schools for their children.

The above are just a handful of the hundreds or even thousands of examples which reveal the lawless situations which currently prevail in this country. This situation has arisen because; the place of law is being arrested by the power and wealth of prominent politicians. In this savage law situation, can any ruler please his fellow citizens? What can a genuine law student who is frustrated by the denial of justice do to safeguard his clients while he practices in the courts? Will he honour the judiciary? Will he respect the ethics of law? Will the judiciary which comprises of judges who are accused of grave crimes fulfill justice to ordinary citizen?

What will the world say about the civilization of a country which violates the rights of its minority ethnic groups? If police and the schools continue to commit crimes of these types, what will happen to the lives of the future generation? Think about this and have the courage to make the law the King of this country in this year 2011.