By Lakmal Sooriyagoda   

The Attorney General’s Department has informed Court of Appeal that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has issued a circular preventing police officers from conducting training sessions, lectures or seminars which dehumanize and discriminate against the LGBTIQ community in the country. 

Several civil society activists had filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal challenging the ever-rising abuse, harassment and discrimination against individuals of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning (LGBTIQ) community, at the hands of the Police.   

The petition came up before the Court of Appeal for support, the court issued notices on the respondents, and thereafter, the State settled the case by agreeing to issue a circular by the IGP, addressed to all the senior police officers of the Sri Lanka Police, preventing them from organizing or carrying out any acts which are discriminatory towards the LGBTIQ community or their rights and also prohibiting them from violating the right to equality under Article 12(1) of the constitution, of the members of the LGBTIQ community. President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena informed the court, that this would duly address the concerns of the petitioners. This circular has now been publicly issued by the IGP and the case was concluded on those terms.   

The petitioners Equal Ground, Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Tamara Andrea Flamer-Caldera, Jade Sison Jayawardena, Anusha Shyami David, Gowrie Ponniah, Savithri Roseanne Rodrigo, Chamindra Katugaha, Marisa Sharika Anjali Jayewardene and Kalpanee Nuwangee Gunawardana had filed this petition on behalf of the rights of LGBTIQ community in the country.   

They have cited Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickramaratne, Ama Dissanayake, a counsellor and psychologist, who conducted a training programme at the Police Auditorium in Kandy and Deputy Inspector General of Police Chandana Alahakoon as respondents.

   
The Petitioners state that according to an island-wide survey conducted by the petitioners in 2020-2021, titled “Mapping LGBTIQ Identities in Sri Lanka”, 12% of the total population who were interviewed for the survey, identified themselves as LGBTIQ, a projected total of 1,469,574 individuals, within the projected base of persons between the ages of 18-65 in Sri Lanka.  
The petitioners state that it is now common knowledge that members of the LGBTIQ community face grievous prejudice in their daily lives, and, most concerningly, that they even find themselves in situations that pose a direct threat to their lives and well-being, at the hands of other individuals and public authorities.   

Sanjeeva Jayawardena PC with Counsel Rukshan Senadheera appeared for Equal Ground. Suranga Wimalasena DSG appeared for the Attorney General.