Law has become an expensive commodity

From P. Rajaratnam in Nuwara Eliya

Deputy Minister of Justice and Law Reforms Vadivel Puthirasigamoney, addressing a seminar on Security of the People and Law Enforcement said that the law in this country has become an expensive commodity, which the common man find it extremely difficult to reach.

He said only those who are able to pay high fees and retain eminent counsel could reach justice. Hence, he said that legal awareness programs should be promoted among the masses to dispense justice and fairplay among all.

Puthirasigmoney further said that according the surveys conducted by certain organisations there is an alarming number of child abuses and sexual abuse among the teenagers in the plantation sector. Such happenings do not come to the light due to various social implications.

Hence, it was incumbent on the part of the social organisations trade unions and the planting community to take positive and decisive steps to arrest such situations.

He added that his ministry with the blessing of the government and President Mahinda Rajapaksa was talking all measures to conduct legal awareness programs both in the plantation and the surrounding rural sectors within the plantations area.

The deputy minister stressed the need to provide adequate security measures in the plantations area by not allowing outsiders coming in to the plantation sector. He also said the government officials should go all out to promote unity among the different communities to ensure security.

The resident representative of the Fredrich Ebert Stiftung Joachim Sehluetter, in Sri Lanka said that his organisation which was founded in 1925, and has become one of the foremost organisations all over the World particularly in the South Asian countries, furthering political and social and educational perspectives in education of individuals from all walks of life facilitating access to university education and research and providing scholarships.

There was a stir when some police officers who refuted the allegation made by some lawyers alleging corrupt practices among the police force particularly in the hill country.

Police Sergeant Pathmasiri said that the police force which has functioned in Sri Lanka since 1815 and continued with dedicated service towards humanity and society. Although there could be certain corrupt officials.

He said both criminals and victims come to the police seeking relief, and they have to dispense justice and fairplay for both. He said there were lawyers who resort to corrupt practices. Hence, he said that no one could blame the police all the time without going into the merits and demerits.

The most spectacular and educative drama put out by the young boys and girls from Pedro Group, depicting the ongoing travails in the estate sector on the increase consumption of liquor and those “brokers” who encourage young boys and girls to get employment in houses in Colombo and outstation and some of them harassed by the police and their parents being put into great hardships was the main attraction for the Seminar.

A. P. Kanapathipillai, A. R. M. Rahim, Triny Rayan, Attorney at Law, and several others also spoke.