100th birth anniversary of Justice E.A.D. Atukorale

Religious observances will be held on 25th August 2024 to mark the 100th Birth Anniversary of the late legal luminary Ebetota Atukoralage Dharmasena Atukorale, well known as E.A.D. Atukorale, who hailed from Batugedera, Ratnapura, .

A product of Ananda College, the late Justice Atukorale excelled in his studies and sports. He entered the Ceylon Law College and was called to the Bar in 1949. He served in the chambers of Queen’s Counsel and practiced in the civil courts in many parts of the country, as an advocate, for over two decades.

Justice Atukorale was appointed to the Court of Appeal on 7th September 1978 and was elevated to the position of President of the Court of Appeal on 3rd December 1982.

He was later appointed to the Supreme Court on 27th November 1984 where he functioned with great distinction. Justice Atukorale has been included into the list of Judges in the article “Judges who left indelible marks” and in the article therein it is written; “the many judgments where judge Atukorale was a member bear ample testimony to his contribution towards the legal literature of this country”.

Justice Atukorale was called upon to serve as Acting Chief Justice on several occasions.

Although he retired in 1989 on August 25th, three months later on 29th November, he got a Presidential appointment as Chairman of the Mediation Board Commission on which he served until November 15th 1992.

Thereafter Justice Atukorale was appointed as Legal Advisor to Sri Lanka’s President and functioned in that capacity at the Presidential Secretariat until 12th July 1993.

Eighteen years have passed since Justice Atukorale’s demise. However his contribution to the country through his much valued legal knowledge lives on and is well remembered on this day of his 100th Birth Anniversary and blessings invoked on him at the religious observances organized to mark this day.

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Indiana Jones’s ‘Temple of Doom’ hat sells for $630K; film shot in Lanka

The hat worn by actor Harrison Ford in the ‘Temple of Doom filmed in Sri Lanka, has sold for nearly half a million pounds at auction, said a news report published by the BBC.

It said that the brown felt fedora – specifically made for the ‘Temple of Doom,’ the second instalment of the Indiana Jones film franchise – fetched $630,000 (£487,000) in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Other items of movie memorabilia were sold at the same time, including props from Star Wars, Harry Potter and James Bond productions.

Jones, an adventuring archaeologist, is seen with the hat early on in the movie where he and his companions jump from a crashing plane in an inflatable raft.

During the scene, he is on board a plane with nightclub singer Wilhelmina “Willie” Scott, played by Kate Capshaw, and his 12-year-old friend Short Round, played by Ke Huy Quan, while escaping the clutches of a Chinese crime gang.

After the flight is sabotaged by the pilot, the trio use the raft to fall from the plane, before sliding down a mountainside.

The auction house said the hat was also used during additional photography at producer George Lucas’s visual effects facilities.

The fedora was also worn by Ford’s stunt-double in the 1984 film, Dean Ferrandini, and was sold with previously unpublished photos of the stuntman wearing the now-iconic costume on location.

Ferrandini died last year. The hat came from his personal collection.

The sable-coloured fedora was an update to the original featured in the first Indiana Jones film – ‘Raiders Of The Lost Ark’ – with a “more tapered” crown then the first, Propstore, the auction house, said.

Created by the Herbert Johnson Hat Company in London, the inside lining features gold monogrammed initials “IJ”.

Also sold at the auction was an imperial scout trooper helmet used in the 1983 Star Wars film ‘Return Of The Jedi’ – which was bought for $315,000 (£243,000) – as well as a light-up wand used by Daniel Radcliffe in ‘Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban,’ which attracted a winning bid of $53,550 (£41,400).

Meanwhile, a suit worn by Daniel Craig in the 2012 James Bond film ‘Skyfall’ sold for $35,000 (£27,000).

Brandon Alinger, Propstore chief operating officer, said the auction house was “proud to have connected such a wide expanse of fans with the historic pieces they cherish”.

The Indiana Jones hat fetched more than double that of another ‘Temple of Doom’ fedora auctioned in 2021, which sold for $300,000 (£232,000), according to Hollywood Reporter.

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‘Chanda Salli Meetare’: First-ever campaign Finance Observation Tool unveiled

For the first time in Sri Lanka, six prominent Election Observation Organizations, namely, Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL), People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), Hashtag Generation, and the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) have established a Campaign Finance Observation Online Tool to observe the campaign expenditures of election candidates at the Presidential Election 2024, TISL said in a release.

It said: The tool named “Chanda Salli Meetare” aims to advocate for the effective implementation of the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act of 2023, empower citizens with vital information to make informed voting decisions, ensure a level-playing field among presidential candidates, and foster a free, fair and inclusive electoral environment that upholds democratic values.

The collaborative tool was launched on Friday (August 16) at BMICH in Colombo with the presence of the Commission members and the Commissioner General of the Election Commission of Sri Lanka, presidential candidates and their representatives, political party representatives, diplomatic missions and civil society organizations.

Nadishani Perera, Executive Director of TISL, Manjula Gajanayake, Executive Director of IRES, Saman Sri Ratnayake, Commissioner General of ECSL, Rohana Hettiarachchie, Executive Director of PAFFREL, Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Executive Director of Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), Manas Makeen, Executive Director of CaFFE, and Darshatha Gamage, Specialist – Elections and Information Integrity at Hashtag Generation, addressed the gathering.

The tool is designed to contribute to the long-term goals of promoting transparency and accountability in Sri Lanka’s electoral processes. By increasing public awareness of the role of money in election campaigns and its influence on voter decisions, it encourages citizen engagement in campaign finance through the dedicated website ‘www.chandasallimeetare.lk’.

The website displays presidential candidates’ profiles with valuable insights on their campaign expenditure broken down into selected cost categories namely; mainstream media, social media, billboards and cutouts, public events, press conferences, launch ceremonies, and campaign offices. The profiles may include the candidates’ asset declarations, election manifesto, and links to external resources to view their parliament performance etc., if available publicly.

The campaign expenditure is calculated based on predetermined minimum average costs and formulas for each category. In addition to dedicated monitoring of social media and mainstream media-based campaigning, election observers will be deployed across the country by the election watchdogs to gather information on ground-level election expenditures in their respective electorates. The website provides the facility for citizens to also provide information about campaign activities of candidates.

A Secretariat, which consists of a dedicated team of campaign finance experts and an IT specialist, has been set up to handle the back-end system of the tool. All data submitted by election observers and citizens will be verified before they are made publicly available through the “Chanda Salli Meetare”.

The law requires all election candidates and parties to submit their returns (financial reports) after the election to the Election Commission. By implementing this tool, the financial data contained in the returns could be compared with the findings of the campaign finance observations collectively done by the Election Monitoring Organizations and reported through the website.

The scope of observations of expenditure will be limited to a selected number of key cost categories that are feasible to be monitored within the capacity of these organizations and therefore, will not reflect the entirety of each candidate’s expenditure. The tool, which will be first executed at the Presidential election, is expected to be adapted and extended to the upcoming other elections as well.

The election observation organizations appeal to the citizens to get involved and support this process to track the election expenditures of candidates, by submitting information on campaign activities in their respective areas, through the user-friendly website which can be accessed through mobile phones or computers. At the same time, we call upon all presidential candidates to adhere to campaign expenditure laws and show that you are prepared to lead by example.

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Ireland go 2-0 up despite Harshitha Samarawickrama century

Half-centuries from Amy Hunter,  Leah Paul and Rebecca Stokel  laid the foundations and Arlene Kelly  applied the finishing touches with a three-wicket haul as Ireland took an unassailable 2-0 lead over Sri Lanka with a 15-run win in the second ODI in Belfast.

As in Friday’s first ODI, however, Sri Lanka made the hosts earn their  win. An impressive all-round display from Kavisha Dilhari and a maiden ODI century from the in-form Harshitha Samarawickrama put Sri Lanka in a position of some control in their chase of 256. A 126-run stand between these two left them needing 84 in 98 balls, with eight wickets in hand, but Ireland hit back thereafter, with Kelly, Jane Maguire and run-outs combining to derail the visitors’ chase.

Leah Paul innovates on her way to 81 (Cricket Ireland)

With her 124-ball 105, Samarawickrama became the third member of Sri Lanka’s ODI centurions club,   one match after Vishmi Gunaratne had ended  Chamari Athapaththu’s long spell as its sole representative.

Having pulled off their record ODI chase to win the first ODI, Ireland put up another impressive batting display after being sent in. Achini Kulasuriya removed both their openers in her new-ball spell, and when Dilhari took out Orla Prendergast, their centurion from Friday, they were 77 for 3. Hunter and Paul got them moving with a 57-run fourth-wicket stand, before Athapaththu struck to send Hunter back for a 71-ball 66.

Then came the partnership that set Ireland up for their victory push, with Paul and Stokell adding 114 off 112 balls for the fifth wicket. Paul was out in the final over for 81 off 101 balls, while Stokell finished unbeaten on 53 off 61.

Brief scores:

Ireland Women 255 for 5 in 50 overs  (Leah Paul 81, Amy Hunter 66, Rebecca Stokell 53*, Christine Coulter-Reilly 24; Kavisha Dilhari 2-35, Achini Kulasuriya 2-48) beat  Sri Lanka Women 240 in 48 overs (Harshitha Samarawickrama 105, Kavisha Dilhari 53, Chamari Athapaththu 22, Nilakshi Silva 24*; Arlene Kelly 3-41, Jane Maguire 2-33) by 15 runs

(Cricinfo)

 

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Star Garments wins Gold at SLITAD People Development Awards

Star Garments Group achieved a major accolade at the SLITAD People Development Awards 2023/24, winning the Gold award for its exemplary human capital practices. The award ceremony, held on August 4th at Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo, recognized organizations that excel in HR development, contributing significantly to both individual and national growth.

Managing Director A. Sukumaran praised the award as a testament to Star’s innovative and inclusive culture that fosters creativity and collaboration. Notably, this was Star’s first participation in the awards. The company has consistently been featured in Great Place to Work’s list of Best Workplaces in Manufacturing and Production.

Employing over 10,000 associates, Star Garments is a leading force in the apparel industry, known for its commitment to innovation and sustainability. The company is deeply invested in social and community development, ensuring equity and inclusivity are central to its mission. Star Garments, with over four decades in the industry, also leads in sustainability with eight LEED-certified factories and plans to expand operations to Togo, supported by a $15 million IFC financing package, creating approximately 4,520 jobs.

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Inauguration of the newly expanded American Corner Matara

U. S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung inaugurated, on 14 August, the newly renovated American Corner in Matara. Open since 2018, the American Corner in Matara serves as a bridge between the people of the United States and Sri Lanka through programmes, events, and learning opportunities.

Following the renovation, the expanded American Corner in Matara has doubled its original capacity to host innovative, free programmes for local Sri Lankan youth to learn entrepreneurship, leadership, English language, STEM, and other key areas. The American Corner in Matara is part of the United States’ global American Spaces network that comprises more than 600 cultural and information centres in more than 140 countries in every geographic region worldwide.

Ambassador Chung remarked at the event: “The American Corner Matara has long been a hub for learning, innovation, and cultural exchange in this vibrant southern Sri Lankan community. With this newly expanded space, we are pleased to meet the growing demand, enabling us to provide even more resources that support economic opportunities, education, and social inclusion for the people of Matara and the broader southern region.”

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Curiouser and curiouser

Saturday 17th August, 2024

Justice Sobhitha Rajakaruna was sworn in before President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal (CA), yesterday. He will function in that position until the return of the CA President Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, who is currently overseas, according to media reports. Curiously, President Wickremesinghe has refused to appoint an Acting IGP in defiance of a Supreme Court (SC) order.

Following the aforesaid SC order, last month, President Wickremesinghe claimed that since he was contesting the upcoming presidential election, he did not want to appoint an Acting IGP lest that appointment should be held against him. If he thinks he cannot make acting appointments in the state sector owing to his presidential candidacy, how come he has sworn in the Acting CA President ?

One may argue that the two situations in question are vastly different, but what is at issue is the President’s refusal to make acting appointments while being in the presidential fray. It can also be argued that the CA President is overseas and therefore the President has been left with no alternative but to appoint an Acting CA President. If so, a wag says, the solution to the IGP issue may be to send IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon overseas so that an Acting IGP can be appointed.

One of the key issues that have strengthened the hands of the Opposition politicians, especially the contenders for the executive presidency, is President Wickremesinghe’s defiance of the aforesaid SC order. Claiming that the IGP’s post had not fallen vacant, he asked Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to discuss the issue with the Chief Justice and sort it out; he thereby incurred much public opprobrium. Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament that the SC order at issue was not valid because the IGP’s appointment had been made by the Constitutional Council (CC), which, he said, was part of the legislature.

It has been proved beyond any doubt that the CC is a part of the Executive and not the Legislature, as President Wickremesinghe himself once declared in Parliament, and therefore the CC decisions can be legally challenged. Therefore, the PM’s argument does not hold water. One may recall that after the Easter Sunday terror attacks, the then IGP Pujith Jayasundera was sent on compulsory leave, and C. D. Wickramaratne was appointed the Acting IGP. That precedent must be followed.

President Wickremesinghe’s critics maintain that his refusal to comply with the SC order in question is a foretaste of what is to come if he secures the presidency and forms the next government. Their contention has resonated with all those who cherish democracy, and want no one to be above the law.

There seems to be something bizarre about the executive presidency; the wielder thereof, after being ensconced in power, tends to take leave of his or her senses, and score own goals.

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