In the law of our country, we are not talking about the supremacy of law but the independence, application and practice of law; for us to experience and comprehend the true meaning of “justice for all”, we have lessons to learn for another 30 years. It is necessary, not because this writer is a pessimist, but because we must learn and unlearn many things we have failed to understand for the last 74 years. This is the stark reality of our situation. Throughout this 74-year history, how many innocent people have been jailed? How many activists, who fought for the rights of the people, were imprisoned, detained or disappeared? How many child abusers, sex offenders, murderers, criminals, large-scale drug dealers, and large-scale financial frauds have been allowed to serve justice or been acquitted? This is apparent in how the Chief Justice, Supreme Court Judges, District Judges, Lawyers, legal community and even the lowest level office worker behave. The entire legal system of the country is rotten.
Now a new development of the struggle has risen. The legal community, including the Ceylon Lawyers Association, the lifelong members of the country’s law and justice system, have taken to the streets. The Lawyers have joined as participants, supporters and saviours of the new youth struggle as if they had suddenly woken up from a long slumber. Whatever their purpose or need, the action is commendable. The “I” should disappear in this public disaster, and the “we” should emerge and shine as one. However, what the legal community, including the Lawyers’ Association of Sri Lanka, who have entered the field of struggle, should do is change our experience of our country’s law. They should work together to ensure that the practice of law in our country “is equal to all”.
It is the duty of the lawyer’s community, including the Lawyers Association of Sri Lanka today, to make the “independence and practice of law” a tool that carries the confidence of all the country’s people.
We publish the quote of a West German pastor named Martin Nieumüller about human rights and freedom, which has received worldwide attention, as an expression of gratitude to him and to open the third eye of the legal community, including the Ceylon Lawyers Association.
First, they came for the Communists.
And I did not speak out.
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
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