Sunday Feb 22, 2026
Sunday Feb 22, 2026
Monday, 16 February 2026 02:57 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Convenes Special General Meeting following killing of Attorney-at-Law
Lawyers to stay away from courts today
The General Membership of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) convened in large numbers yesterday at a Special General Meeting, called in response to the killing of Buddhika Mallawarachchi, Attorney-at-Law, and his wife in broad daylight in a high-security area.
Members expressed grave concern over what they described as an existential threat faced by Attorneys-at-Law, highlighted by the assassination of Mallawarachchi. The meeting also referenced the risks faced by the judiciary, recalling the murder of the late High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitya in November 2004.
In this context, the Membership unanimously adopted a series of resolutions aimed at addressing what it characterised as a grave situation and, to demonstrate its collective resolve to assist in efforts to remedy it, the BASL issued a four-point call to action:
1. To compel the Government to take urgent and robust measures to bring an end to the current culture of brutal killings and to ensure public security
2. All Attorneys-at-Law to refrain from appearing in all Courts throughout the country on Monday, 16 February 2026
3. To call upon law enforcement authorities to forthwith apprehend the perpetrators of these brutal killings and to expeditiously take steps according to law
4. To express the utmost displeasure of the BASL, with regard to the public circulation and attempts of narrative creation through unverified information attributed as having been communicated by the Police.
