The scandal of the Cheap Justice
The sordid saga of an imposter, as the National Unity Government officially described him in polite language, is over but the stink left behind by that episode is spreading.
That is because Mohan Peiris, once styled as Chief Justice 44, never held that office and will not have his name in any official records other than the cases he heard. The Government said the manner in which his predecessor was removed was void. That clearly meant he was no Chief Justice.
Hence, Shirani Bandaranayake, the rightful incumbent walked into the CJ's chambers on Wednesday. The next morning, she said her farewell at an official ceremony in the Supreme Court. Justice K. Sripavan succeeded her.
The Bar Association headed by Upul Jayasuriya carried out a high pitched campaign for the removal of the man who called himself the CJ. With the election of the new Government, many are the events that played out.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who was the main Government interlocutor with Mr. Peiris tried to persuade him to quit. Mr. Peiris sought a diplomatic posting either in New York or London. Though Wickremesinghe first offered Brazil, and then Vietnam, it was later changed to Italy because Mr. Peiris is a Catholic. Mr. Peiris then bargained for Geneva, where he often represented the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government, and is also accredited to the Vatican. "Rome or home," Mr. Wickremesinghe was heard to tell his ministerial colleagues.
However, the unbelievable happened on Wednesday morning. As moves to oust him went on, Mr. Peiris telephoned President Maithripala Sirisena. While pleading to remain in office, he declared "Mama ithing kiyana vidiyata nadu theen- du dennam" or I will deliver judgments the way I am told. That was his philosophy of dispensing justice.
A shocked President Sirisena was to later share this experience with some ministers in the Cabinet.
One witty minister remarked, "he was never Chief Justice but one acting as a Cheap Justice. Obviously this is what he did with the previous UPFA Government."