President must be wise in exercising power – Colombo Law Society

The Colombo Law Society has issued a statement stating that the powers vested in the President by the Constitution should not be exercised in an arbitrary and selective manner.

The Law Society states that the article 34 of the Constitution clearly states how the presidential pardon should be exercised and that the President should exercise such powers wisely and prudently. The society also says that the people have a right to know whether the constitutional pardon of former parliamentarian Duminda Silva was followed in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.

The Colombo Law Society also states that the Bar Association Sri Lanka has written to the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa requesting to disclose information to the public regarding whether the relevant procedure was followed in granting presidential pardon and whether the reports, instructions and recommendations were complied with the process, whether there are relevant reports, instructions and recommendations and whether Duminda Silva will be pardoned or not.

The Colombo Law Society, the largest branch of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, is of the same opinion as the BarSL, mentioned in the statement. It would have been an unjust and arbitrary action if the relevant procedure had not been followed in granting presidential pardon to former MP Duminda Silva and that failing to follow the proper judicial process in pardoning a prisoner would undermine public faith in the judicial system and ultimately undermine the rule of law, the law society added