Northern lawyers stage walkout 

• Lawyers in the Northern Province stepped away from court work yesterday over the sudden resignation and departure of Mullaitivu District Judge T. Saravanaraja. 

The lawyers instead held a protest, demanding a comprehensive inquiry into the threats against Saravanaraja and to implement measures to safeguard the security of magistrates while preserving the judiciary’s independence.

Lawyers in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Vavuniya, and Mullaitivu districts took part in the strike action. As a consequence of this withdrawal, normal court proceedings in the Northern Province faced disruption, causing inconvenience to their clients and leading to the postponement of trials due to the absence of legal representation.

The Mullaitivu Lawyers’ Association, which has also joined the strike, are insisting the authorities take legal action against the individuals who threatened Saravanaraja. 

They have declared their intention to continue the strike until a resolution is reached.