Include foreign judges to probe war crimes: SL panel

The Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms was appointed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last year to seek public views and comments on the proposed mechanisms for transitional justice and reconciliation in terms of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka in October 2015. 

The government opposes a mechanism with international judges and maintains that the Sri Lankan judiciary system had the capacity to try those responsible for war crimes.

However, the Tamil rights groups have challenged the government’s stand. In sharp variance with the government’s stand, the task force report recommends the setting up of a special court and office of special counsel, the court shall ensure that there will be a majority of national judges and at least one international judge on every bench. It adds that the special court should be mandated to try international crimes including war crimes and crimes against humanity and pay particular attention to crimes of sexual violence and crimes against children.

Commenting on the report, Minister of Health Rajitha Senaratne said the government would not waver from its original stance of not having foreign judges.