Acid test for equality before the law

THE principle that all citizens are equal before the law is a cornerstone of any functioning democracy. Yet in Sri Lanka, this principle has too often been compromised by a judiciary tainted with political interference and selective justice.

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The recently deceased Lohan Ratwatte was a case in point for judicial incompetence to hold perpetrators of serious crimes to account. However, several opportunities have presented themselves for the judiciary to clean its abysmal record in recent times.

Last week’s arrest of former president Ranil Wickremesinghe on charges of misappropriation of public funds is one such opportunity. The case is not merely about one man but the credibility of our courts and their ability to act without fear or favour.

Scepticism surrounding Wickremesinghe’s detention is understandable. It stems not from the facts of the current case, which remain to be tested in court, but from history. Sri Lanka’s judiciary has long been plagued by accusations of being a pliant tool of those in power, rather than a neutral arbiter. This checkered past explains why the question is raised, almost instinctively as to whether Wickremesinghe’s arrest is politically motivated.