The Foundation delivers Human Rights Workshop in the Eastern Province in cooperation with the Judges’ Institute of Sri Lanka
From 30 November-1 December 2019, the Max Planck Foundation conducted a workshop in Trincomalee, Eastern Province of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Judges’ Institute of Sri Lanka.
The workshop was attended by 24 Judges of the District, Magistrate and High Courts. It commenced with a highly engaging session by Supreme Court Justice, Hon Shiranee Tilakawardane, on the role of the judiciary to advance human rights in Sri Lanka. This was followed by presentations made by the Foundation on various aspects of international and comparative human rights law with a focus on civil and political rights.
The programme covered a wide spectrum of civil and political rights, including fair trial rights and qualified rights, as well as the prohibition on torture and enforced disappearances. The speakers also addressed international law pertaining to non-discrimination, gender equality, children’s rights, and the rights of persons with disabilities. The Judges engaged in robust discussion of these rights at both the international, national and local level, with a particular focus on cutting edge issues that have come up in their daily work. Throughout the sessions, the Judges considered case studies and devised innovative ways to strengthen human rights protections in at the provincial level.
The Director of the Judges’ Institute of Sri Lanka and Supreme Court Justice, Hon L.T.B. Dehidenya, gave closing remarks at the workshop, commending the judges for their excellent engagement in the programme.
This workshop is the fourth of six to be held in partnership with the Judges’ Institute 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 in Jaffna, in the Northern Province in the first quarter of 2020.