SRI LANKA: The criminal Justice system is a dead tree

October 18, 2011

SRI LANKA: The criminal Justice system in Sri Lanka is a dead tree

That murder should not be looked on lightly and the murderers must be punished is one of the most basic moral judgements in any human society. The attitude taken by the Sri Lankan government that no legal action need be taken against Duminda Silva, who has been identified by witnesses as having instigated and taken part in an incident that ultimately ended in the deaths of four persons, is nothing less than scandalous. Playing games with this issue indicates the perversion that has taken the place of moral judgment. If there is no moral condemnation of murder what standard can a society base condemnation on -- nothing at all?

Not long ago, there existed in this society the belief and feeling that a murderer must be brought to book irrespective of whatever high status he may enjoy. The manner in which Duminda Silva has been treated by the higher echelons of the government makes a nonsense of all that.

Perhaps, the explanation is that once the rule of law system sinks into the abyss, a society's moral foundations sinks with it. The collapse of Sri Lanka's rule of law system is such that the society cannot any longer protect its basic moral code. Even murder becomes an amoral issue.

If political interference is the reason for taking no legal action against Duminda Silva then the IGP and Attorney General should have resigned in protest. That at least would have shown the public, there is still some reason for hope. However, the system is so dead, that even the idea of resigning in protest does not arise.

The only morally justifiable course open to the public now is to boycott this dead system.

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ENDS

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