4 May 2024 12:00 am Views - 181
By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana
When the country has an accepted legal system in place, it is shameful and dangerous for a senior minister to say to eliminate the criminals and to threaten the lawyers not to appear for them, a lawyers’ collective said yesterday.
Expressing its strong disapproval of a recent statement made by the Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, the Young Lawyers Association told the media that no criminal should be punished until proven guilty in a court of law.
“We vehemently condemn the statement made by Minister Tiran Alles that it is not a sin to eliminate the criminals, which gives an impression to somebody that the country does not have a proper legal system,” Secretary Young Lawyers Association Attorney Jayantha Dehiaththage said.
Addressing a recent passing out parade of police special motorcycle squadron that was assembled to fight the underworld and narcotics trafficking, the subject minister said “it is not a sin to eliminate criminals like murderers, drug dealers and underworld operatives”.
“Alles being the Public Security Minister should be responsible for the security of each and every person in the society, be it a criminal or not. Until proven guilty every criminal is a suspect. If the criminals are to be shot or eliminated without a fair trial, what shall we tell their families?” Attorney Dehiaththage questioned.
“We have observed that most of these criminals found in the underworld and drug-related crimes are victims of poverty and from the lower levels of society. The most righteous statement to make would be to transform a society where criminals are not produced,” Dehiaththage said.
Attorney Thanuka Nandasiri said it is shameful for a minister to threaten the country’s lawyers saying that their names would be publicized for appearing for criminals.
“We do not have any requirement to protect criminals. Until proven guilty every offender is a suspect. If nobody is appearing for a suspect, how could that person prove his innocence? Tiran Alles should know that lawyers are also part of the judicial system like judges. The minister has no right to defame lawyers by making such a statement,” Attorney Nandasiri said.