Sri Lanka top judge laments state media`s slander campaign

Colombo: Lawyers of Sri Lanka`s top judge Shirani Bandaranayake Wednesday accused the government of running "an organized series of programmes" in state electronic media targeting the Chief Justice, the Judiciary and leading lawyers. They said said government spin doctors are involved in these "baseless propaganda programmes".

"It is abundantly clear that these are not isolated attacks but meticulously orchestrated attacks coerced and carried out at the behest of highest in authority. "These are clearly intended to pressurise the Chief Justice to summarily resign, because the Government is well aware that the entire impeachment process is irregular and the Chief Justice cannot be lawfully removed from office", a statement said. Bandaranayake, 54, country`s first woman Chief Justice was found guilty by a parliamentary select committee in the government moved impeachment against her. The trial was conducted ex-parte after she and her lawyers walked out accusing bias. The impeachment process came after months of friction between the government and the chief justice. PTI