• AG’s Office Ordinance has been introduced during the colonial period, it is appropriate to amend it now

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana   

UNP MP Jayampathi Wickramaratne yesterday called for the amendment to the law in order to ensure that Attorney General’s office functions as an independent office. 

Speaking during the committee stage debate on the budget in Parliament, the MP said the AG’s office should be an independent institution. “The AG’s Office Ordinance has been introduced during the colonial period. It is appropriate to amend it now especially to introduce some amendments to make it bound by the law to act independently,” Dr. Wickramaratne said.  The MP said an AG is expected to make independent decisions whenever his advice is sort on certain matters. “President Maithripala Sirisena sought the advice from AG on possibility of dissolving Parliament during the political crisis popped up on October 26 last year and he declined from advising. AG should have given his independent opinion on this matter,” Dr. Wickramaratne said.  “AG is not expected to act as president’s attorney but only as an instructor.,” he added. Also he cannot act as the respondent of the government.