Paramilitaries issue death threat to Vavuniya Lawyers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 March 2007, 12:06 GMT]
Lawyers in Vavuniya made legal history by boycotting Vavuniya district Court and High court Thursday protesting against the persistent demand for ransom by a paramilitary group, and the death threats issued by the group, legal sources in Vavuniya said. Activities of a court has been completely suspended because of the boycott, Manickavasagar Illancheliyan, District Judge Vavuniya said Thursday at Vavuniya District Court.

The Lawyers Association Vavuniya district submitted a written protest appealing to the two Judges in Vavuniya Courts, Human Rights Commission, Colombo Lawyers Association, Chief Judge and Inspector General of Police Vanni Region, that they need security arrangements and assurance of safety to conduct their legal work, legal sources in Vavuniya said.

Judge Ilancheliyan postponed all cases scheduled for hearing for Thursday to April 26, due to lawyers' boycott.

The Judge said that the lawyers, amidst death threats, are not in the right frame of mind to appear in court to present their arguments and that he has brought the matter to the notice of the Chief Judge.

Judge Illancheliyan also observed that this was the first time an armed group had made death threats to lawyers.

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