Attorney-at-Law Gamini Nallaperuma emphasized that the proposed 22nd Constitutional Amendment represents a pre-constitutional stage currently referred to the Supreme Court for its opinion, expressing concern over destructive criticism aimed at defaming key judicial figures rather than analyzing the bill’s merits.
Speaking at a press conference organized by Lawyers for National People’s Power (NPP) in Colombo on August 26, Attorney Nallaperuma condemned opposition politicians for hiding behind parliamentary privileges to launch personal attacks on the Chief Justice and his family.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Nallaperuma stated:
“What we see today is destructive slander rather than constructive critique of the 22nd Amendment. Because affected individuals in the judiciary cannot publicly defend themselves, these attacks rapidly escalate into harmful character assassination. Parliamentary privileges were never meant to be abused to defame individuals or their family members. Endorsing defamatory statements made by MPs—such as those by MP Rohini Kaviratne—erodes the sovereignty of the judiciary.”
He urged the public to stand against these defamatory campaigns, warning that the collapse of judicial independence ultimately compromises the public’s sovereignty and judicial power.
Nallaperuma also criticized the prolonged silence of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL):
Silence of the BASL: He questioned the leadership of the BASL for failing to defend the judiciary while the Chief Justice was subjected to continuous attacks without an avenue to respond.
Public Misinformation: He noted that the association’s passivity sends a misleading message to the public, calling on the legal fraternity and citizens to demand an immediate end to abusive remarks made under the cover of parliamentary privilege.
He concluded by calling for an end to baseless mudslinging and emphasizing that judicial independence and public trust must be safeguarded together.
