Sri Lankan Chief Justice impeached, People protest

January 12, 2013: For thousands of people - lawyers, politicians, religious leaders and activists, Friday was 'black Friday', a day to mourn the death of justice in front of parliament building, wearing dark hats and flags.

The Sri Lankan parliament on Friday voted by a majority to impeach the country's Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, beginning the process to remove her from office. The impeachment motion was passed by a two-third majority with 155 members voting for and 49 against it. It is now up to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to take a decision if he will remove the country's first woman chief justice.

The government accuses her of corruption, an allegation the chief justice denies, BBC reported. Recent court rulings said the process was unconstitutional, and she may refuse to leave.

Critics of the government say that the top judge is being victimized and the independence of the judiciary is being challenged. The government denies this, the report added.

Various opposition parties, including the United National Party and the Tamil National Alliance, had said they would vote against the motion. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party, a Marxist party, said it would boycott the vote.

Tabled in parliament in November, the motion against Badaranayake blames her for some 20, vaguely defined offences that range from having undeclared assets to violating the constitution.

More than a month ago, the chief justice was subjected to sham hearings by a select committee of parliament that culminated in her lawyers walking out on 7 December when the committee refused to give them the list of witnesses.

Civil society groups, including Catholic and Buddhist leaders, and the international community have criticised the whole process as a way for the government to interfere with the courts.