US Ambassador Alaina Teplitz : “ We welcome the early release of PTA prisoners, but the pardon of Duminda Silva, whose conviction the Supreme Court upheld in 2018, undermines rule of law. Accountability and equal access to justice are fundamental to the UN SDGs to which the GoSL has committed.”
UN Human Rights Council: Presidential pardon of Duminda Silva, a former MP convicted of the murder of a fellow politician, is another example of selective, arbitrary granting of pardons that weakens rule of law and undermines accountability, the UN Human Rights Office said.
Minister of Sports Namal Rajapaksa : “A great injustice was done to Duminda Silva during the previous Government. It’s clearly evident through the leaked voice recordings of Ranjan Ramanayake,there was a lot of criticism in the county regarding the judgment given to Duminda Silva. The President has pardoned a lot of convicts today, including Duminda Silva. So I think it is a very positive development.”
The United National Party: The President must explain his decision to include the former Parliamentarian in his list of Presidential pardons issued on Thursday,June 24. What was the criteria used in determining those who were eligible for the Presidential pardon? This particular case was of great public interest and as such the President must explain to the citizens of the country why he chose to issue this particular pardon.”
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL)
Although article 34(1) of the Constitution allows the President to grant such a pardon, either free or subject to lawful considerations, the proviso to Article 34 (1) requires the President to call for a report from the Judge who tried the case where the offender has been condemned to death, such report is required to be forwarded to the Attorney General for advice and the proviso also requires the Attorney General’s opinion to be referred to the Minister of Justice who too is required to submit a recommendation to the President.The Bar Association of Sri Lanka maintains that if any one or more considerations stated above, were not satisfied in the current case, the pardon granted to Duminda Silva would be unreasonable and arbitrary and will result in erosion to the Rule of Law and result in a loss of public confidence in respect of the administration of justice.”
