Fresh outrage has erupted after Attorney-at-Law and MP Lakmali Hemachandra allegedly belittled a court ruling, with critics accusing the government of shielding her while opposition figures remind the country that others SB Dissanayake, Ranjan Ramanayake, and Gnanasara Thera were all jailed for similar contempt of court charges.
The controversy ignited when New People’s Front Kolonnawa Electoral Organizer Ajith Pushpakumara, Kolonnawa Electoral Worker Jayasinghe, Seethawaka Provincial Council Member Nalaka Bandara, and Ratmalana Electoral Pirivena Division Organizer Saman Ranatunga formally lodged a letter with the Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission. Their demand was clear: immediate enforcement of the law against Lakmali Hemachandra for her alleged contempt.
According to Council Member Nalaka Bandara, the incident occurred at a Thimbirigasyaya Regional Development Committee meeting. There, Lakmali Hemachandra reportedly instructed officials to disregard a court order obtained by a state institution, openly criticizing the judiciary. The move has been labeled reckless and deeply insulting to the independence of the courts.
However, Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara downplayed the matter, insisting Lakmali did not insult the court but merely participated in an “administrative discussion.” Critics pounced on this defense, calling it hollow and hypocritical. They reminded the minister that other officials, such as former Immigration and Emigration Controller Harsha Ilukpitiya were punished for failing to implement court decisions on similar grounds.
Opponents argue that Lakmali’s statement is not an isolated blunder but part of a disturbing pattern. “This is how the Compass government works,” Nalaka Bandara said. “One law for the opposition, another for themselves.” He accused the government of eroding the judiciary’s credibility while hiding behind excuses.
The New People’s Front compared Lakmali’s conduct to the actions that once saw politicians like SB Dissanayake and Ranjan Ramanayake imprisoned for contempt. They stressed that if the law was applied then, it must be applied now, without excuses or favoritism. “Lakmali should be arrested, and her license to practice law must be revoked. The entire country is waiting to see if justice will actually prevail,” one official said.
They also highlighted past promises by JVP leaders to decentralize justice, allowing villages to resolve disputes locally, “by sitting on culverts.” Now, they allege, that mockery of the judicial process seems to be becoming reality, with ministers openly undermining the authority of courts.
The criticism extended beyond Lakmali. Speakers accused the government of systematically politicizing state institutions, beginning with the police service. They cited the transfer of nearly one hundred police officers after giving the IGP powers that once belonged to the Police Commission, claiming it marked the collapse of accountability. “Now they are coming for the judiciary,” they warned.
To the New People’s Front, this incident is more than a slip of the tongue, it’s a direct attack on the last remaining institution the people still trust. With political interference spreading, they argue the judiciary must stand firm, or the nation risks losing its final safeguard.
They vowed to pursue every available legal avenue to ensure accountability, warning that the dignity of the courts cannot be bartered away in the name of politics. “People have lost faith in this government. Their only hope is the judiciary. This insult cannot go unpunished,” they concluded.
