Jaffna courts closed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
All courts of law in the Jaffna peninsula were closed yesterday until further notice, said sources in the north today. Hand written notices from the court registrars, informing the public about the closure, were placed outside the courts this morning. No one showed up for work this morning at the courts.

Sources said that there is speculation that the Liberation Tigers were responsible for the situation.

They said that the Tigers appear to have issued instructions to the concerned authorities to close the courts.

The Sri Lankan government (SLG) established four courts of law in Jaffna after it took control of the peninsula in 1996. There are three magistrate's courts at Mallakam, Pt.Pedro and Chavakachcheri. The district court functions in Jaffna town.