President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has stressed that no one is above the law under the current government, emphasizing that all individuals, including the President, Ministers and Members of Parliament, are equal before the law.

Speaking at a public gathering in Akuressa today (20), President Dissanayake said the government’s efforts to combat drug trafficking and organised criminal networks had led to those involved in such activities attempting to rally against the government.

He said public confidence in the judicial system could be further strengthened if criminal cases were concluded and punishments imposed without lengthy delays.

“Now, no one is above the law. Everyone is equal before the law. I am equal before the law, as is our MP, and everyone else,” President Dissanayake said.

He stressed the need to reform the process of delaying court cases, saying a more efficient judicial system would ensure that offenders and those facing criminal proceedings feel the deterrent effect of the law.

The President also referred to what he described as a previous perception that individuals from the upper levels of society were not subject to the law. He claimed that, for the first time in the country’s history, a former President had been brought before court and remanded in custody.

President Dissanayake said the government would continue to strengthen the rule of law and ensure that legal accountability applies equally to all.