The Foundation delivers Human Rights Workshop for lawyers in Central Province and Uva Province in cooperation with the Bar Association of Sri Lanka
From 28 September – 29 September 2019, the Foundation delivered a workshop in Nuwara Eliya, Central Province of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. The workshop was attended by lawyers from the Badulla, Matale, Monaragala, Welimada, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Bandarawela Bars, as well as the Legal Aid Commission in Siyabalanduwa.
The workshop addressed international human rights law and centred around civil and political rights with a special focus on their implementation in Sri Lanka and the advancement of the public interest by lawyers. The lawyers participating in the workshop actively engaged throughout the sessions sharing their knowledge and experience.
The topics covered by the trainers pertained to civil and political rights, including fair trial, the right to be free from torture and enforced disappearances, qualified rights, the rights of the child, the rights of persons with disabilities and the right to be free from discrimination. On public interest litigation, international and local experts specifically addressed strategic litigation and the role of lawyers in advancing public interest in Sri Lanka, respectively.
The Assistant Secretary of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, Mr Vishwa de Livera Tennekoon, spoke encouragingly on the importance of public interest litigation in the pursuit of justice and advancement of human rights, sharing his vast experience in Sri Lanka.
This workshop is the second out of six to be held in partnership with the Bar Association of Sri Lanka at the provincial level as part of the German Federal Foreign Office funded project, “Capacity Building for Judges and Lawyers in Sri Lanka“. The next workshop is due to take place on 5 – 6 October 2019 in Dambulla, Central Province.