By Shamindra Ferdinando
President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Saliya Pieris, PC, yesterday (10) said that US Ambassador Julie J. Chung had been invited as the Guest of Honour to a two-day National Law Conference (NLC) 2023 in recognition of the continuous support received by BASL from the US. Agency for International Development (USAID) over the years.
The President’s Counsel said so in response to The Island query why the BASL invited Ambassador Chung, amidst continuing controversy over her role in the protest campaign that led to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ouster and subsequent developments.
Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Law Conference, themed ‘Navigating through the crisis: The Role of the Law.’
The opening ceremony will be held at the Oak Room of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo, at 8.45 am tomorrow (12). Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, will be the Chief Guest, whereas the Ambassador attends the event as Guest of Honour.
The outgoing BASL Chief said that this was not the first time an Ambassador was invited for a BASL event.Pieris said that over the years the USAID supported several legal education programmes, conducted by the BASL, under the Effective & Efficient Justice (EEJ) Programme, and several other programmes.
“The EEJ programme supports several stakeholders in the justice sector. The programme is supervised by a Project Steering Committee, jointly headed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice, and the Country Director of USAID,” PC Pieris said.
Declaring that USAD assistance, during this time the country was experiencing severe economic crisis, ensured that critical legal education programmes were continued without interruptions. Therefore, the US Ambassador was invited to the National Law Conference, as a courtesy, in recognition of vital USAID support.
Responding to another query, Pieris said that Ambassador Chung would make a brief address.
Lawmakers Sarath Weerasekera and Wimal Weerawansa have questioned Ambassador Chung’s role. They have alleged that the US envoy discouraged ousted President from responding to the threat posed by the protest campaign, launched on March 31, 2022. Some have alleged that the protest campaign received foreign funding and the backing of the expatriate Sri Lankan community.
Asked whether the US provided sponsorship for the National Law Conference, the BASL chief said the annual event received USAID backing on several occasions, including this year. Pieris said that he would participate in several more events as the BASL President. He said so when The Island asked whether the National Law Conference would be his last public event.Several high profile speakers, including Supreme Court Judges, senior legal practitioners, an economist, bankers and businessmen, are scheduled to address the sessions, at the two-day conference.