President rules out foreign judges in Sri Lanka war crimes probe

President Maithripala Sirisena has reiterated that he will not have international judges on the bench for probe on war crimes cases which have been allegedly committed by government troops and the LTTE.

Addressing the National Law Conference in Wadduwa on Friday (18th March), President Sirisena said: "I will not agree to get foreign judges in to any kind of investigations into human rights violations allegations". He said he had the fullest confidence in the local judges and judicial administrators, so there was no need for international judges.

The President had made a similar comment a few weeks ago to the international media and that created a storm with human rights groups insisting that he reconsider his stand.

 According to the UN human rights council resolution of 2014, Sri Lanka was to set up an international mechanism to probe the war crimes charges. Sri Lanka co-sponsored the 2015 resolution with the US which also called for a mechanism with international judges and prosecutors. The UN rights Chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein in his report submitted at the September 2015 session of the UNHRC blamed the local judiciary for its lack of capacity to deliver justice. (Daily News)

original post news.lk