Law relating to Intellectual Property is important today - Attorney General
 

BY SARATH Malalasekera

IMPORTANT area of relevance in today's context is the law relating to Intellectual Property. It was Attorney at Law Kalinga Indatissa who was responsible for some of the major prosecutions in the recent times under this Act against CD and Video pirates.

Kalinga is best equipped to write on criminal prosecutions under the Intellectual Property Act No. 36 of 2003, said Attorney General K. C. Kamalasabeyson PC at the launching ceremony of five law books authored by Kalinga Indatissa at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo.

Supreme Court Judge, Justice Saleem Marsoof, Solicitor General C.R. de Silva, PC, former Justice Minister G. L. Peiris, President's Counsel Daya Perera, President's Counsel D.S. Wijesinghe, President's Counsel K. Kangeswaran and Dr. Wikrema Weerasuriya were present.

The Attorney General said that for a criminal practitioner particularly in the Magistrate's Court, the law relating to bail is an important area.

The Bail Act has given rise to number of important questions of law. The commentary of the Bail Act that is being released would undoubtedly be of much value, not only to the lawyers, but also to the judges who are regularly called upon to interpret the law in this field.

The Role of Provincial High Courts which is now on its third edition is another publication which is being released by Kalinga.

Despite the introduction of the Provincial High Courts by the 13th amendment in 1987 several issues involving the provincial High Courts remain uncertain, particularly in the civil field.

Time and again reference is made under Article 125 of the Constitution by the High Courts to the Supreme Court on the interpretation of the items specified in the lists, and the provisions in the 13th amendment, Attorney General said.

"I have no doubt the Kalinga's publications would immensely assist the legal practitioners and the Judges of the High Court," Attorney General emphasised.

Kalinga's work on Computer Crime and Credit Card frauds is perhaps the first of this kind in our country.

With the advent of globalization, it is necessary that we keep up with the development and progress elsewhere in the world, he said and added, "this book I hope will only be the start and will serve as a source of encouragement for other legal scholars in our country to contribute towards this area of the law."

"We all know the tedious tasks that confront a practising lawyer. Kalinga is no exception. Yet it is to his credit that he was able to bring out, from time to time, publications on various legal subjects of relevance.

In today's context a practising lawyer finds it difficult to embark on legal research particularly in relation to cases in the original court.

There is always the need of publications that would provide easy reference to the lawyer. The publications of Kalinga met these requirements.

One must also not forget the fact that in a profession that is highly competitive, sharing of knowledge is a rear feature and we must thank Kalinga for his kind gesture," the Attorney General added.