C’Wealth Secretary General calls GL over CJ’s impeachment

Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma telephoned Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris early this week to discuss the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, the Commonwealth Secretariat said.

A statement issued on the Commonwealth Secretariat website said that the Secretary General had expressed appreciation for the briefing provided by Minister Peiris and the readiness of the Government of Sri Lanka to discuss concerns that have been raised regarding the impeachment of the Chief Justice.

“We encourage full and practical application of shared Commonwealth commitments with regard to the impeachment process,” the Secretary-General concluded.

He said all Commonwealth governments have recognised the importance of maintaining the separation of powers and the integrity of the roles of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, and all Commonwealth governments have recognised that access to justice and an independent judiciary are fundamental to the rule of law.

Minister Peiris and the Secretary General had agreed to remain in contact about the issue, Sharma said.

The Secretary General’s comments followed the announcement that Sri Lanka would be the hosts of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November 2013 and would serve as CHOGM chair for two years following the summit.