CJ: Federal or unitary, power can be devolved

Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva says power can be devolved to the provinces without having an effect on the central government or getting entangled in terms like federal, unitary etc.

The judiciary has shown an example in this regard, he said, at the opening of a Civil Appeal High Court for the North Central Province in Anuradhapura recently.

At a time when there is heated political debate over the devolution of power, the people have placed their trust in the judicial system due to its flexibility as well as its concept of equal distribution of power, the CJ said.

Everything has been destroyed because the country is involved in an illusion of war, he said, adding that the judiciary has now come to understand this reality.

According to Sarath N. Silva, devolution of power should not be confined to the North and the East, but that it should embrace the rest of the provinces as well.

The judiciary has proved the success of this concept more than India has done, he said.
Devolution of power becomes a simple and easy task if we clearly identify how it should be done, and its implementation to the utmost will ensure that justice is done to the maximum, the CJ added.