“Personal favours are not encouraged in my office”

Newly appointed Chief Justice Nalin Perera yesterday told the Supreme Court that personal favours are not encouraged or accommodated in his office as a judge.

Chief Justice Nalin Perera made these remarks while speaking at the ceremonial sitting held at the Supreme Court to welcome him as the country’s 46th Chief Justice.

“In my thirty eight year long and challenging journey in the judiciary I have constantly sensed the tension between two ends that any conscientious judge will need to strike a balance”.

“One end being the need to humbly integrate with society as a real man with real sorrows and weaknesses; and the other being the need to keep my arms-length in such a way that personal favours are not encouraged or accommodated in my office as a judge,” the Chief Justice added.

The new Chief Justice was accorded a warm welcome at the ceremonial sitting by an array of Judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Courts, District Courts and the Magistrate’s Courts.

The Chief Justice further said that his ambition was in the execution of his services towards the plight of the poorest and weakest in society.

“My ambition has always been to be diligent in the execution of my services in this field with sensitivity towards the plight of the poorest and weakest in society. The thought of the poor general public being worn out and inconvenienced by a case being unnecessarily postponed has always bothered me. Simple as the thinking might be, it has always stopped me from dragging a case or taking an avoidable leave for my personal matters, even though I may have had the freedom to do so,” the Chief Justice further added.

The ceremony began with the speeches from the Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya PC and Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) President U.R. de Silva PC.

The judges of the Supreme Court and Appeal Court, Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justice Minister Thalatha Athukorala, Ministry officials, former Chief Justice Priyasath Dep, BASL President U.R. de Silva and lawyers attended the event.