Hulftsdorp a ghost town

by - Chitra Weerarathne

A wave of solidarity with the Chief Justice, Sarath N. Silva, and expression of dissatisfaction over the proposed impeachment, swept through Hulftsdorp, yesterday.

This was the first of its kind, many observers commented.

In no time Hulftsdorph was turned into a ghost town, devoid of all action.

All the people who turned up in the morning, left the site by 10.30 a.m. or 11 a.m. at the most.

The reason being that, the employees of the Registrar’s Offices of all the Courts had resorted to trade union action, expressing dissatisfaction and sadness over the move to impeach the Chief Justice, Sarath N. Silva, by the UNF Government.

The Courts adjourned proceedings by 10.30 a.m. at the most. There were nobody to record the proceedings.

The Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Courts, the District Courts and also the Magistrate’s Court, had to postpone hearings to a later date.

Meanwhile, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, and the Colombo Law Society, had both condemned the move to impeach the Chief Justice.

The Colombo Law Society, in a statement issued on November 4, 2003 said that while the determination, on a reference made by the President to the Supreme Court, is pending, the move to impeach the Chief Justice is a direct and a flagrant interference with the independence of the judiciary of this country. This move undermines the entire judicial system of the country, the Colombo Law Society had said.

The Colombo Law Society had urged the Speaker of Parliament and the Members of Parliament not to pursue this issue any further.