Sri Lanka lawyers strike over impeachment
2012-12-12 13:00
Colombo - Sri Lanka's courts ground to a halt on Wednesday
as lawyers went on strike to protest against a move by lawmakers to impeach the
chief justice in a bitter clash over the independence of the judiciary.
The Lawyers' Collective, representing all attorneys, have
demanded that the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance withdraw its
recommendation that judge Shirani Bandaranayake be impeached for professional
misconduct.
The one-day strike went ahead despite President Mahinda
Rajapakse announcing on Tuesday night that he was willing to appoint an
"independent panel" to review the parliamentary report by UPFA
lawmakers.
"The president's statement... is an admission that it
was an unlawful process," the lawyers' union said in a statement.
In a sign of possible compromise, Rajapakse said he was
reluctant to proceed with the impeachment of Bandaranayake, the country's first
woman chief justice, but he gave no further details.
The impeachment has raised international concerns that
Rajapakse is trying to control the judiciary after crushing Tamil rebels in
2009 and consolidating his hold on power.
Supreme Court challenge
Action against the chief justice came after she scuttled
several bills, including one that would have given more powers to Rajapakse's
youngest brother Basil, the economic development minister.
The legality of the impeachment process is also being
challenged before the Supreme Court and a verdict is expected by Friday.
The government had expected Bandaranayake, aged 54, to
resign without putting up resistance, but she has vowed to fight on and defend
her innocence.
The charges on which she was found guilty by lawmakers
include failing to declare nine bank accounts and interfering in a case
involving a company from which her sister had bought an apartment.
Rajapakse's party has enough support to dismiss
Bandaranayake through a vote when parliament holds its next session on 8 January.
