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by Basil Fernando In this article, the “justice system” refers to the police, the prosecution (Attorney General’s Department), and the judicial institutions, as separate entities and as a collec...

by Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena On the 9th of January 2015, the people of Sri Lanka astounded themselves and many others in the world. An authoritarian ruling family cabal which had ruthlessly stripped ...

by Basil Fernando Rita, a rape victim visited the Magistrates Court 24 times between 2001 and 2004. Then, the case was referred to the Attorney General for the filing of indictment. The visits she mad...

By Basil Fernando The rape and murder of a 17-year-old schoolgirl two weeks ago, has given rise to the biggest protest seen in North in recent times. The police have announced that 9 persons have been...

Gabriel Garcia Marquez once spoke of Fidel Castro as a person “incapable of conceiving any idea that is not colossal”. During the last few months in Sri Lanka too there has been an interest in col...

by Basil Fernando A young man, then 18 years old, filed a communication on 28th January 2003, about an incident that took place on 18th April 2002. The UNHRC came to a finding on 14th July 2006. The...

by Kishali Pinto Jayawardene For those of us privileged, (if I may be forgiven the sarcasm), to witness the live Parliamentary telecast of Tuesday’s committee stage process on the 19th Amendment, th...

බාගෙට හැදූ නිවසක් තුළ පට්ටානි රසීක්ගේ මළ සිරුර වළ දැමීම බැසිල් ප‍්‍රනා�...

by Basil Fernando  The discovery of the body of Pattini Razeek buried under a half-built private house, in a remote village on Uddamaveli, in Valaichchenai, would have flared up the imagination of an...

The passing of the Amendment 19A, is a step towards undermining the authoritarian constitutional structure imposed on Sri Lanka through the 1978 Constitution.  This together with the appointment of a...

Dear Friends, According to information received by the Asian Human Rights Commission, Mr. Benedict Selvaraj, a mason living in Hantana Estate, Kandy has been assaulted, arrested and threatened with to...

Stating that the passing of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution marked a major stride for democracy, Lawyers Collective urges all political parties to use the next general election to obtain a fres...

by Basil Fernando  Last week, 23 April 2014, the television programme ‘Sathyagaraya’ – a Sinhala language programme telecast by the Independent Television Network (ITN) and produced by Upul...

An article from the Friday Forum forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The 1978 Constitution of our country has a passage in its Preamble which refers to the obligations of parliamentarians e...

Dear Friends, According to information received by the Asian Human Rights Commission, Mr. P. Somadasa and his wife of Palalla, Weligama Police Division, Matara District are being denied their rights. ...

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Chief Incumbent of the Namal Uyana Buddhist Monastery, Venerable Wanawasi Rahula Thero, has escaped an attempt ...

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the administration of the Dehiwala Zoological Gardens, under the newly appointed Director has demolished several ac...

A revolt has been organized by few irresponsible politicians through a campaign to stop investigations into allegations of bribery and corruption. The latest name to be added to the list of those who ...

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that S. Premalatha and her husband P.K. Harishchandra are seeking justice in relation to the sudden death of their daugh...

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about a child with special needs being unable to attend school as a result of a leading girl’s school in Colombo refus...