BASL parliamentary allegations against President Rajeev Amarasuriya are rejected as false, with the MP challenged to repeat them outside Parliament.
The BASL parliamentary allegations dispute intensified after the Bar Association of Sri Lanka strongly rejected claims made against its president, Rajeev Amarasuriya.
Government MP Asitha Niroshana Egoda Withanage made the allegations during a parliamentary sitting.
In a statement issued on July 24, the BASL described the claims as false, baseless and malicious. It said the remarks unfairly targeted Amarasuriya and risked misleading the public.
The statement was issued under the names of BASL Vice President Rensi Arsekularatne and Secretary Nalin de Silva.
BASL Challenges MP Over Parliamentary Allegations
The BASL expressed serious concern over what it described as the misuse of parliamentary privilege to make defamatory statements.
It challenged the MP to repeat the same claims outside Parliament, where parliamentary privilege would not protect him.
The association said this would allow the allegations to face legal scrutiny through evidence and proceedings before a court.
The BASL also stressed that Sri Lanka’s legal community does not act for party-political purposes.
It said the association has consistently defended democracy, judicial independence, human rights and the rule of law, regardless of which political party controls the government.
Judges’ Retirement Age Debate Remains Central
The dispute follows the BASL’s opposition to an ad hoc constitutional amendment extending the retirement ages of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges.
The BASL has maintained that constitutional rules should not change merely to address temporary circumstances or benefit particular officeholders.
Its president previously said the association’s position rested on constitutional principle and was not directed against any political party or government.
The association said any reform must arise from a genuine institutional need. It should also include transparent justification and broad consultation with affected stakeholders.
The BASL warned that arbitrary constitutional changes could weaken public confidence in judicial independence and constitutional government.
Its response now places the focus on whether the MP will repeat his allegations outside Parliament, where he could be required to defend them in the witness box.
