The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has decided to hold election to select a new president on the 15th of next month, Secretary to the Bar Association, Attorney-at-Law Amal Randeniya told the Sunday Observer.
This decision was made at a meeting held by the Executive Committee of the Bar Association held yesterday at Hulfstdorp.
“We have amended the constitution of the Bar Association to give powers to the Solicitor General to hold the elections. The Solicitor General will appoint returning officers within the Department or lawyers from the relevant out station bars.” When asked if this was achievable in such a short time period he said that they were hopeful and positive as there are three weeks left to get everything in place. “It’s a difficult task since we have to send out the ballot papers and polling cards, at the moment we have prioritized and attended to what is needed.”
Prior to the amendments adopted to the constitution it provided that Magistrates, Additional District Judges and District Judges would act as presiding officers for the election at the provincial level and the Colombo presiding officer is usually the Solicitor General.
The Bar Association election which was originally scheduled to be held on the 21st of this month was postponed indefinitely due to the stance that was taken by the Judicial Services Association (JSA) not to act as presiding officers. The JSA came to this decision in dissent to the appointment of Ramanathan Kannan as a High Court Judge from the unofficial bar.