SC suspends attorney from legal practice | Daily News

SC suspends attorney from legal practice

The Supreme Court has ordered to suspend an attorney from engaging in legal practice for 7 years over his acts of deceit and malpractices.

The Supreme Court further ordered the respondent Attorney-at-Law Wasantha Wijewardena to pay a sum of Rs.300,000 to his client R.M. Karunaratne Banda who is the Complainant in this case.

The Supreme Court ordered the respondent attorney to deposit within one month from the date of the order, Rs. 300,000 to be paid to the complainant.

The Supreme Court three-judge-Bench comprising Justice Vijith K. Malalgoda, Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Thurairaja made this order

The disciplinary committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka had concluded that the Respondent Attorney-at-Law, who has filed an application on behalf of the Complainant after receiving fees from him, has not given an acceptable explanation for his absence in the Supreme Court on 17-06-2009 and 20-07-2009, which were the dates the Court had fixed the said application for support. Further, the said disciplinary committee also had concluded that it was long after the Court had dismissed the said application that the respondent Attorney-at-Law had made the re-listing application.

Justice Surasena observed that this is not the kind of conduct expected from the practitioners in this noble profession. Rule 60 of the Supreme Court (Conduct of and Etiquette for Attorneys-at-Law) Rules 1988 published in the Gazette Extraordinary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka No. 535/7 dated 07-12-1988 states as follows: “an Attorney-at-Law must not conduct himself in any manner which would be reasonably regarded as disgraceful or dishonourable by Attorneys-at-Law of good repute and competency or which would render him unfit to remain an Attorney-at-Law or which is inexcusable and such as to be regarded as deplorable by his fellows in profession.” It is also relevant to note that while rule 61 states that an Attorney-at-Law shall not conduct himself in any manner unworthy of an Attorney-at-Law.

Dr. Avanthi Perera SSC with Sureka Ahamad SC appeared for Attorney General. Rohan Sahabandu PC appeared for the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. Respondent Wasantha Wijewardena appeared in person.