Tense atmosphere at BASL meeting

A tense situation had erupted during a Special General meeting of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) held at the Colombo District Court premises yesterday.

However, the situation was soon brought under control by a group of lawyers who had been instrumental in calling the meeting.It was leant that some senior lawyers were confused about the outcome of the proceedings as there was no vote taken though ideas for and against the resolutions were brought forward by the members.

Reports said that Vice President of the BASL, Attorney-at-law Anoma Gunathilake decided to resign in the wake of three resolutions regarding the impeachment motion against Dr. Mrs. Shirani Bandaranayake being adopted without taking a proper vote.

Gunathilake, a former Assistant Secretary of the BASL and former President of the Colombo Law Society, was reported to have stated that the cause for her resignation was due to the resolutions not being passed in a proper manner. But President of the BASL Wijedasa Rajapakhse is yet to receive her resignation letter. The BASL had passed the resolutions with a show of hands instead of moving to conduct a ballot, which had reportedly angered several of its members.