Sri Lanka: Information since 1990 on the harassment and abuse of Colombo judges and former judges (both Sinhalese and Tamil) at the hands of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or the security forces, with special attention to High Court judges
| Publisher | Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 December 1997 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LKA28306.E |
| Cite as | Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sri Lanka: Information since 1990 on the harassment and abuse of Colombo judges and former judges (both Sinhalese and Tamil) at the hands of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or the security forces, with special attention to High Court judges, 1 December 1997, LKA28306.E, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aade0.html [accessed 25 May 2013] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information since 1990 on the harassment and abuse of Colombo judges and former judges (both Sinhalese and Tamil) at the hands of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or the security forces is scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
According to a 1991 publication by the Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers (CIJL) of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in Geneva, although lawyers who took human rights cases in their individual capacity received death threats, fled the country due to those threats or were killed, "judges are also subject to influence and pressure, sometimes involving threats" (1991, 107). The CIJL provided the example of Supreme Court judge Ranjit Amerasingha, who received a postcard with a threatening statement, addressed directly to him, in relation to a fundamental rights case (1991, 107). Respondents on this particular case were the Attorney General, the Army Commander, the Inspector General of Police, a police officer and the Superintendent of Remand Prison (ibid.). Further information was not provided by CIJL.
For information on 1988-1991 Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) attacks on Tamils and judges or employees of the superior court in Colombo (or any other court in Colombo) since 1988, please consult Response to Information Request LKA7508 of 11 January 1991, which is available at Regional Documentation Centres.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers (CIJL). 1991. Attacks on Justice: The Harassment and Persecution of Judges and Lawyers: June 1990-May 1991.
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International Report. Yearly. 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997.
Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers (CIJL), Geneva. 1990. Attacks on Justice: The Harassment and Persecution of Judges and Lawyers: July 1989-June 1990.
CIJL Yearbook [Geneva]. Yearly. 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1992. 1993.
Critique: Review of the U.S. Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Yearly. 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996.
DIRB. "Sri Lanka" country file. 1990, March 1993-September 1994.
_____. "Sri Lanka: Amnesty International" country file. January 1990-present.
Freedom in the World: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties: 1994-1995. 1995.
Human Rights in Developing Countries Yearbook. Yearly. 1995, 1996.
Human Rights Task Force, Colombo. 29 September 1993. Annual Report: 10 August 1992-10 August 1993.
Human Rights Watch World Report. Yearly. 1992, 1994, 1996.
News from Asia Watch [New York]. Monthly. 1991-1995.
Refugee Branch Asylum Division, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Ottawa. Infrequent reports. October 1994-May 1996.
Refugees, Immigration and Asylum Section (RIAS), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia. July 1993. Refugee Determination: Country Profile: Sri Lanka.
"Report of the Canadian Human Rights Mission to Sri Lanka." January 1992.
Sri Lanka: State of Human Rights [Colombo]. Yearly. 1994, 1995, 1996.
Electronic sources: IRB Databases, LEXIS/NEXIS.
Oral sources:
Unsuccessful attempts to contact five oral sources.
