Transport for security personnel vital-Judge

by Ananth PALAKIDNAR

High Court Judge Jaffna R. T. Vicknaraja has urged the Ministry of Defence to assist the court by providing transport facilities to the police and the security forces personnel from the South who appear as prosecution witnesses in cases that are taken up by the HC Jaffna.

Judge Vicknaraja found that several police and the security forces personnel along with other Government officials such as the Judicial Medical officers and Government Analysts have informed the court their inability to appear before court as prosecution witnesses due to non availability of transport facilities from Colombo to Jaffna.

They have also pointed out the difficulties to get seats in the service flights from Colombo to Jaffna.

To prevent the delays in handling cases that had come before the courts in the past years Jaffna HC Judge has made a request to the Secretary, Ministry of Defence to make arrangements for prosecution witnesses to travel to Jaffna.

Judge, Vicknaraja told the Sunday Observer that there were around 70 cases pending and their proceedings were delayed without the prosecution witnesses.

"Those prosecution witnesses were serving in Jaffna when the cases were filed at the Jaffna HC.However they have now gone on transfer from the peninsula to the South and their presence as prosecution witness is hardly felt when the cases are taken up before the courts" Vicknaraja said.