The Supreme Court held a function at Dharubaaruge last night to celebrate its third anniversary.
According to local media reports, Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz said that citizens would accept judgments and rulings by the courts “if the person making the decision is someone who lives in a way that is acceptable to them.”
The Chief Justice vowed that he would not allow judicial independence to be compromised: “I accept that there will be challenges. I accept that there will be criticism. Nonetheless our direction will be forward with the independence assured by the constitution,” he said.
Justice Faiz also launched a book containing the rulings and judgments of the Supreme Court.
Newspaper Haveeru meanwhile reported that a number of judges from the Civil Court, Family Court and Criminal Court as well as some judges from the High Court did not attend last night’s ceremony.
An unnamed judge from a superior court told Haveeru that a lot of judges were unhappy with the decisions of the Supreme Court.
“I’m not at all satisfied with the way the Supreme Court has been acting so far,” another judge told the local daily. “There is dissatisfaction among judges about the rulings of the Supreme Court. That is why I didn’t attend last night. But I can’t say why some other judges did go.”