The Bar Council of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka has unanimously passed a resolution calling for the resignation of President’s Counsel Mr. Kaushalya Navaratne from his position as President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.
This resolution was passed during a meeting held today (31), following allegations that Mr. Navaratne has been involved in the misappropriation of funds.
The allegations stem from a project initiated by Japan’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the latter half of 2023, aimed at combating corruption. After the Bar Association of Sri Lanka submitted a bid, it received a grant of Rs. 24 million.
Mr. Navaratne, along with Vice President Nalinda Indathissa, President’s Counsel Shavindra Fernando, Advocate Nuwan De Alwis, and Advocate Rashmini Indathissa, have been accused of lacking transparency in the bidding process and in entering into agreements related to this project.
Additionally, lawyer Amila Palliyage proposed a constitutional amendment requiring that candidates for the presidency of the Bar Association must have at least 25 years of experience in the legal profession.
This proposal has been forwarded to the Constitution Amendment Committee of the Association, which will review members’ opinions and suggestions before making a final decision.
