The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) said an accountability mechanism to deal with crimes committed during the final phase of the armed conflict must take place "within the framework of Sri Lanka's Constitution" in a statement released last week.
The statement, addressing the recently passed UN Human Rights Council resolution mandating an accountability mechanism for mass atrocities, acknowledged that "existing judicial and prosecutorial systems have not met the confidence of many concerned".
"It is an undeniable fact that over a period of time the independence and credibility of many of these institutions have suffered due to many reasons, resulting in an erosion of confidence in the system as a whole," it added.
However, the statement concluded that whilst "there may be a need to obtain necessary assistance and expertise, including international assistance and expertise, the BASL stresses that the mechanism that must be put in place should be within the framework of Sri Lanka's Constitution".
See the full text here.
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