BASL: Where Art Thou?

• Published date: 09 August 2022
• Publication title: Daily Financial Times

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka, representing the legal professionals in the country has a pivotal role in the administration of justice. It has had its fair share of controversy through the years and faced accusations of politicisation and political bias. But at critical moments, the legal fraternity, either as part of the BASL or outside, have stood up to defend democracy and civil liberties in the country.

Memorably, the lawyers were at the forefront of the battle against the first-ever impeachment of a Chief Justice in Sri Lanka. Though they lost that battle in 2013, it marked the beginning of the end of the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration which was ousted a little over a year later.

In 2018, during the constitutional coup precipitated by then-President Maithripala Sirisena by sacking Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe, it was the legal battle fought and won inside the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal that saved the day for democracy.

Several lawyers at the forefront of that battle, including Hejaaz Hizbullah, paid a heavy price for that victory. Hizbullah was incarcerated for nearly two years under fabricated terrorism charges for his role in defeating the 2018 coup, while others had to flee the country in fear of their lives.

One of the most important turning points in the short-lived Gotabaya Rajapaksa Presidency was the election of Saliya Peiris as BASL President in a landslide in 2021. This was significant since his opponent was seen as the establishment candidate backed by the Rajapaksa administration. Peiris...