From 17-19 October, a workshop focusing on ‘Human Rights and Lawyering in Times of Crisis’ was held in Sigiriya.
Organised in collaboration with the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the workshop brought together twenty-five lawyers practising mainly before the courts of first instance to explore the relevance of human rights and methods of a rights-based approach in their work.
The workshop began by defining ‘crisis’ and then explored the roles played by lawyers during such periods, emphasising ethical and professional obligations. The sessions focused on techniques of the rights-based approach, including the relevance of international human rights law, supreme court decisions on fundamental rights, and the use of common law and statutory rights. Participants learned how these techniques can inform different aspects of legal practice, including case strategy, interactions with clients, and legal argumentation. Discussions also covered the various roles and obligations of lawyers, including ethical responsibilities.
The program was delivered by Foundation Research Fellows in collaboration with local experts and senior members of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. A senior lawyer discussed the options for remedying human rights violations in the trial courts and at the local level, and stressed the importance of creativity in using these approaches to secure positive outcomes for clients. The workshop concluded with a panel discussion with the president of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, a senior lawyer, and another practising lawyer who was involved in a recent landmark case in a provincial high court. The discussion ranged from topics such as lawyers’ professional conduct and social perception, the challenges facing persons with disabilities and legal strategies for advancing their rights, and options for systematising and expanding the provision of legal aid in Sri Lanka.
The sessions combined both theoretical and practical elements, which gave participants the opportunity to apply the techniques discussed in hypothetical scenarios which resemble cases they may deal with in the future. This created the opportunity for the lawyers to develop an understanding of how a rights-based framework may be used to effectively serve their clients’ interests and uphold justice.
This was the third and final workshop for lawyers in Sri Lanka under the German Federal Foreign Office-funded project ‘Consolidating the Rule of Law in Sri Lanka: Strengthening the Resilience of Democratic Institutions to Promote Stability in the Face of Crises’.