The Constitutional Council has granted its approval for the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda as a member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), NewsFirst reported on Monday.
Justice Kodagoda is set to assume the position following the retirement of former Supreme Court Justice S. Thurairaja, whose departure created a vacancy on the commission.
The three-member JSC, chaired by the Chief Justice, is responsible for the appointment, transfer, dismissal and disciplinary control of judicial officers in Sri Lanka’s lower courts, including District, Magistrate’s and Primary Courts. Appointments to the commission require the concurrence of the Constitutional Council, the body established to vet nominations to key independent institutions and senior judicial posts.
Justice Kodagoda, a senior member of the apex court, has been an outspoken voice on the functioning of the justice system, recently describing chronic court delays as the “slow poison” of Sri Lanka’s justice system.
His elevation to the JSC comes during a period of close political attention to the courts, with opposition parliamentarians having warned against perceived executive encroachment on judicial independence and opposition leaders writing to the Chief Justice on the issue.
Source: NewsFirst.
