The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has called upon the government to appoint the remaining member of the Right to Information Commission, without further delay.
In a letter addressed to the National Constitutional Council, the BASL says the former Chairman of the Right to Information Commission retired in March this year, following which the position remains vacant to date.
The BASL points out that the office of the chairperson is integral to the effective functioning of the said Commission and the fulfilment of its mandate under the Right to Information Act.
The absence of a chairperson hampers the Commission’s ability to operate efficiently and discharge its duties as provided by the Right to Information Commission, it pointed out.
As such, the Association urged the Constitutional Council to take serious note of the matter. The BASL urged it to nominate the remaining member to fully constitute the Right to Information Commission.
Full text of the BASL letter: “We write further to our letter, dated 28th May, 2025, in relation to the above matter.
Unfortunately, this matter is still pending to date.
By our letter under reference, we here already brought to your notice and attention the urgency and national importance of this matter and for ease of reference the relevant excerpts from our letter are reproduced below:
‘We write to bring to your attention a matter of national importance in relation to the Right to Information Commission. As you are aware, the former Chairperson, Retired Supreme Court Judge Upali Abeyratne, resigned from his post on or about 9th March 2025, and since his resignation, no appointment has been made to fill this vital position.
The office of the Chairperson is integral to the effective functioning of the Commission and the fulfillment of its mandate under the Right to Information Act No 12 of 2016. The absence of a chairperson hampers the Commission’s ability to operate efficiently and discharge its duties as provided by the Right to Information Commission.’
We request you to take serious cognizance of this matter and to nominate the remaining member to fully constitute the Right to Information (RTI) Commission. We are confident that the Constitutional Council will be mindful of the public trust reposed in the Council and will make a most suitable and acceptable recommendation for the remaining vacancy,” said the letter, signed by BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya and Secretary Chathura A Galhena.
