SL Chief Justice offers resignation, Colombo media largely silent

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 January 2011, 12:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s chief justice Ashoka de Silva handed in his resignation after an altercation with SL president Mahinda Rajapaksa over endorsing a court martial decision about the former SL military commander Sarath Fonseka. When the chief justice declined such endorsement from the judiciary, saying that the case was biased, the president reportedly shouted at him, came out with threatening words and walked out. The SL chief justice sent in his resignation a few hours later. A shocked Rajapaksa didn’t accept the resignation but wanted the CJ to reconsider his decision. Oppressed media in Colombo was reluctant to give wide coverage to the happening.

During the altercation, the SL president is said to have cited the benefits his regime had been giving to the judges.