Additional member named to CoI on human rights

• President names Yogeswari Patkunarajah as 4th commissioner to CoI appointed in Jan.
• Commission is headed by SC Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has named Yogeswari Patkunarajah as an additional member to the Commission of Inquiry he named last month to identify the findings of the preceding commissions and committees that probed human rights violations and what progress has been made in the implementation of their recommendations.

The Commission is headed by Supreme Court Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz and its other members are Retired Inspector-General of Police Chandra Fernando and Retired District Secretary Nimal Abeysiri.

The additional commissioner is being named taking into consideration the necessity of reflecting the pluralistic character of Sri Lankan society and gender equity, the Gazette notification issued in this regard said.

The Commission is tasked with following: 

• Find out whether preceding Commissions of Inquiry and Committees appointed to investigate into human rights violations have revealed any human rights violations, serious violations of the international humanitarian law and other such serious offences
• Identify the findings of the said Commissions and Committees related to the serious violations of human rights, international humanitarian laws and other such offences and whether recommendations have been made on how to deal with the said facts
• Manner in which those recommendations have been implemented so far in terms of the existing law and what steps need to be taken to implement those recommendations further in line with the present Government policy
• Oversee whether action is being taken according to the above

The Commissioners have been given six months to submit a final report.