Professor Dr B.A.Hussainmiya
Visiting Professor
Southeastern University of Sri Lanka
“ On March 1st night I watched Ada Derana one to one 360 interview program in Sinhala in which Hon. Justice Minister Mr Ali Sabry took part. His host almost acting like an interrogator, Mr. Sanka Amarjit, well known for his racial prejudices and was well prepared to grill and breakdown the Minister on various law reforms in which the Minister is involved.
Questions centered among other matters, around ‘one country one law’, punishing people unduly by remand sentences often unbailable by those, for eg., who violate archeological sites, especially in the North and East; drug users suffering in remand for long periods due to case delays and a host of other issues. Sanka’s biased and cynical questions were so nakedly clear to the viewers, especially on special Muslim laws in the country.
However, Mr Ali Sabry handled every issue with such erudition, legal knowledge, and logic that I was so flabbergasted to see his grasp of Sinhalese language and its nuances. Besides, I appreciate his humane approach to the urgent need to reform archaic and mindless laws in remanding prisoners who languish for long time incarcerated for years as with another form of judicial punishment. In fact I learnt quite a lot of law by his articulate exposition as a seasoned lawyer.
I am really proud of him and his innate ability to argue and analyze issues.
I don’t necessarily approve of his political affiliation; nor I know nothing head or tail about him and I have never seen him in person.
But I respect him for his erudition, power of intellect, and above all sincerity, and will power to stand up to common justice. He is indeed an asset to any nation. I hope any government would stand by him despite mounting racialism on all sides that is going to tear down the fabric of our motherland.”
