Even in Parliament, Judges Cannot Be Defamed: President’s Counsel Mohan Weerakoon
President’s Counsel Mohan Weerakoon emphasized that under Standing Orders of Parliament, it is strictly prohibited to make defamatory statements regarding a judge of any court.
Addressing a press conference organized by Lawyers for National People’s Power (NPP) in Colombo on August 26, the President’s Counsel highlighted that targeted attacks against the judiciary undermine the nation’s governance structure.
“Both inside and outside Parliament, various individuals have been making defamatory remarks against the Chief Justice, the third highest citizen of the country,” Weerakoon stated. “Under Standing Order 82 of Parliament, discussing or making allegations against a judge of any court is prohibited. An opposition MP recently made a disgraceful statement regarding the Chief Justice inside Parliament, which cannot be condoned by anyone. The silence of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) regarding these statements has raised serious public concerns about the entire judicial system and administrative structure.”
He explained that these issues arose amid current discussions surrounding the 22nd Constitutional Amendment, for which over 20 petitions have been filed in court, with hearings expected to conclude within three weeks.
“Governance relies on three pillars: the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary,” he added. “Judges appointed to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal possess 20 to 25 years of extensive experience, coming from the Attorney General’s Department or rising through the Magistrate’s Court to the higher courts. Making defamatory statements against them severely impacts the country’s stability. While anyone has the right to support or oppose the 22nd Amendment, defaming the Chief Justice or spreading false statements under the guise of parliamentary privileges is completely wrong. Legal action must be taken within Parliament against those abusing parliamentary privilege, or the entire judicial and administrative framework risks collapsing.”
0
