SL Attorney General conducts workshop in Jaffna for trainees

“Sri Lanka’s Attorney General (AG) stressing on building up confidence among residents of Jaffna peninsula in Sri Lanka’s legal and judicial systems sounds not only discordant but also ridiculous when he has conspicuously failed to comment on or discuss the fate of more than a hundred civilians languishing in Jaffna Prison and in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Special Rehabilitation Camps in the peninsula without being brought to trial,” one of the magistrates in Jaffna peninsula who attended the meeting held by Attorney General, Mohan Peiris, at Palaali SLA Head Quarters Sunday around 9:30 a.m, said.

The AG was in Jaffna to conduct a two-day workshop organized by ‘Jaffna Legal Aid’ for Attorney-at-Law trainees in SLA High Security Zone (HSZ) and wound up his visit holding a meeting with all the magistrates of the Magistrate Courts in Jaffna district.

It is absolutely important for the attorney-at-laws to be given due respect and the right to present arguments to build up confidence among the residents of Jaffna peninsula in Sri Lanka’s legal and judicial organs, the AG had told the participating magistrates, the sources said.

“The AG, however, did not take into consideration the fate of more than a hundred persons who had sought protection due to death threats by SLA and placed in the protective custody in Jaffna prison or of around 600 young men and women held SLA Special Rehabilitation Camps in Thellippazhai and other places in Jaffna peninsula”, the attendee said.

“There are countless Habeas Corpus applications related to persons gone missing after arrest by police and SLA filed by persons in Jaffna which remain unattended for a long time and the AG did not discuss this issue either,” he added.

“The plight of the Vanni civilians held in SLA internment camps and their future were neither taken for consideration by the AG in the meeting,” he further said.

“The AG who stressed on taking steps to build up confidence and trust in the Sri Lankan legal and judicial systems among the people of Jaffna failed to discuss the most glaring instances of law and order being slighted in Jaffna peninsula,” he said.

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