February 15, Colombo (LNW): In an extraordinary show of unity, the entire membership of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka assembled in Colombo today (15) to deliberate on a collective response to the recent killing of a fellow lawyer and his wife in Akuregoda.
The meeting, held at the Association’s headquarters in Hulftsdorp — the historic heart of the country’s legal district — drew an unusually large turnout of attorneys from across the island. Senior and junior members alike gathered to reflect on the implications of the double murder for the independence and security of the legal profession.
This marks the first occasion in fourteen years that the BASL has summoned its full membership for a single assembly in the capital. The previous instance occurred in 2012 amid the constitutional crisis triggered by the parliamentary impeachment of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, a moment widely regarded as a watershed for judicial independence in Sri Lanka.
Today’s session is being chaired by BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya, who is expected to outline a series of proposals ranging from coordinated legal action to public advocacy initiatives aimed at reinforcing the safety of legal practitioners.
