Very unfair and false allegations are being made against Judges in the judicial sector through the internet and the social media today, President Maithripala Sirisena said.
“Although we as politicians can bear such allegations made against us it is very difficult for people in the legal, medical engineering and other state sectors to withstand such baseless and unfounded criticism.
This shows that the internet and social media sectors are misusing the freedom available in the country,” he said.
President Sirisena expressed these sentiments addressing the Annual Conference of the Judicial Service Officers at Pegasus Reef Hotel, Hendala yesterday.
President Sirisena said he is the person who earns the most amount of flak through the internet and social media networks daily.
“It is a well-known fact that no one else can break that record,” he said. The President said he had now totally given up the practice of viewing those websites and advised his family members too to boycott those websites.
President Sirisena said he believed that he should go through his daily routine of official duties without being distracted by such vulgar and unfounded allegations and criticism.
“Going after them would be an utterly useless endeavour. As politicians we are well accustomed to character assassination and defamation. We have the ability to courageously face them. But public officials including those in the judiciary could not withstand such uncouth criticism and allegations,” the President said.
President Sirisena said people should not take up politics if they could not bear up criticism and unfounded allegations.
“But when one considered the subject area of members in the judicial service and their living environment and social background, these allegations and criticism were new challenges faced by them,” he said.
The President emphasised that as a government they not only regretted such criticism and allegations, but would also take all possible measures to thwart and combat them.
President Sirisena said freedom is given to people to enable them to enjoy it.
“But one should realise that there was a handful of bad hats and miscreants among groups of disciplined people,” he said.
The President said as a government they had placed great faith in the Judiciary.
Justice and Buddhasasana Minister Dr. Wijaydasa Rajapakshe, Chief Justice K.Siripavan and Judicial Service Officers’ Association president Judge Inoka Ranasinghe also spoke.