JSA concerned over two nominations for High Court appointments

The Judicial Service Association of Sri Lanka (JSASL) has expressed its profound discontent with certain names proposed for the imminent appointments due to be made to the High Court. 

In a letter addressed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the JSA raised concerns over the names of Mr. Tikiri Jayathilaka, currently serving as the Deputy Secretary General of the Parliament, and another officer from the Attorney General’s (AG’s) Department, being amongst the four names proposed for the High Court appointments. 

Jayathilaka previously served as a magistrate from 2016 until he resigned to take over his appointment as an Assistant Secretary of the Parliament. 

JSA deems his exposure to a non-legal institution a disqualification to be re-admitted as a member of the judiciary at any future stage. Pertaining to Jayathilaka’s candidacy, the JASL noted that a previous request made by him to assign him to the parliamentary staff as a secondment was initially refused by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), thereby making his candidacy a circumvention of the JSC’s precedence. 

“The recommendation of the JSC under certain circumstances at this stage despite its previous decision cannot validate or substantiate his re-entering the judiciary”, the letter read in this regard. 

Meanwhile, speaking in relation to the potential appointment of the official from the AG’s Department, the JSA raised concerns about the individual in question being a ‘far junior officer compared to the judicial officers who are next in line in judicial seniority’. 

Thus, the JSA requested President Wickremesinghe to refrain from appointing Jayathilaka to the High Court and to consider matters such as seniority with regard to the appointment of an officer from the AG’s Department.