Members of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) are refraining from appearing before courts across the island today (16) in protest over the recent shooting and killing of a lawyer and his wife in Akuregoda, Thalangama.

The decision was taken at a special general meeting held yesterday (15), where members engaged in extensive deliberations on the implications of the attack on the legal community.

BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya said the move reflects the collective stance of the legal profession in response to the killing of one of its members. He noted that the association’s general assembly reached four unanimous decisions during the meeting convened following the double murder.

The Bar Association resolved to urge the Government to take immediate steps to end what it described as a prevailing culture of murders in the country and to ensure public safety. Members also agreed to refrain from attending court proceedings island-wide today as a mark of solidarity and protest.

In addition, the association called on the Police and relevant law enforcement authorities to immediately arrest and institute legal action against all those responsible for the crime. It further expressed strong disapproval of the dissemination or portrayal of unverified information as factual by law enforcement and other concerned parties.

The meeting was held at the BASL headquarters in Hulftsdorp and marked the first occasion in 14 years that all members of the association convened collectively in Colombo.