2ND LEAD (Correction)

Jaffna lawyers call off boycott of Courts

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2008, 14:46 GMT]
Northern Bar Association of Sri Lanka (NBASL) Wednesday called off its Friday boycott of all Courts of Law in the Jaffna peninsula as its long term demand to allow use of facilities allocated to its members in the newly opened judicial complex in Jaffna being met by the head of the Judicial Service Commission Wednesday, legal society sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna High Court Judge, S. Suvarnarajah and Jaffna District Court Judge, R. K. Vignarajah, after holding talks with NBASL representatives Wednesday, officially made available the use of facilities meant for the lawyers.

NABSL which had Monday announced its intended boycott on Friday had confirmed it Wednesday in a report to the media.

The use of allocated facilities the lawyers were fighting for consist of the consultation hall, rest room, library and canteen in the newly opened judicial complex in Jaffna that was built with the assistance of World Bank.

Nearly a year had passed since the opening of the judicial complex that houses allocated area meant for the lawyers and since the Jaffna lawyers’ demand to make them available to them.

The NBASL had made representations and held talks with the Attorney General and key officials of the Justice Ministry several times to have their demands met.

Chronology: