Due to the Mallawarachchi murder, the Bar Association convenes an emergency general meeting after 14 years.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka today convened a special press conference at its headquarters, strongly protesting against the brutal daytime murder of a young lawyer and his wife.

The Bar Association emphasizes that this tragic incident is considered a serious attack on the entire legal community as well as on the rule of law in the country. To decide on the future course of action regarding this matter, the Executive Committee has decided to convene an emergency general meeting with the participation of the entire membership tomorrow at 3:00 PM at the Bar Association premises. It is noteworthy that this is the first emergency general meeting convened by the Bar Association after the impeachment crisis of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake in 2012, i.e., after 14 years.

The Association draws serious attention to the fact that this murder occurred near the Akuregoda Army Headquarters and a high-security zone, in front of a supermarket. They strongly urge the police to immediately apprehend the perpetrators using CCTV footage and modern technology available in the area. It was also stated that ensuring the country's security so that the public can travel on the streets without fear is a paramount responsibility of the government.

The Bar Association points out that every individual is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty through due judicial process, and accordingly, representing clients is a constitutional right as well as a responsibility of a lawyer. The murder of a lawyer for representing a client, regardless of who the client is, is a threat to the entire judicial system. They warn that the tragedy faced by the lawyer today could befall a judge, police officer, or prison officer tomorrow.

The Bar Association strongly criticized the dissemination of various false reasons and conclusions regarding this incident through social media and certain media outlets. The Association stated that if the cause of a crime is determined through social media within minutes, there is no need for a judicial system, and emphasized that such unethical media practices pose a serious threat to the criminal justice process.

The Bar Association expressed its profound sorrow to the families of the murdered young lawyer and his wife and affirmed its commitment to represent the aggrieved party. However, it was further stated that no lawyer can be pressured not to represent suspects, and since obtaining legal assistance is a fundamental right of anyone, the Bar Association will never act against it.