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‘English only’ Law College exams issue divides Parliament

20 Oct 2022

  • Sajith, Sabry, Wijeyadasa, Kiriella, and Hakeem in heated debate
BY Mirudhula Thambiah   A heated debate took place yesterday (19) in Parliament, as arguments were made both for and against the conduct of Sri Lanka Law College internal examinations in only the English medium. Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition MP Hesha Vithanage noted that while former Minister of Justice and incumbent Minister of Foreign Affairs President’s Counsel (PC) M.U.M. Ali Sabry had brought in a progressive gazette to conduct the Law College curriculum in the English medium; the majority of students who enter the Law College are requesting, however, to be permitted to follow the curriculum in their mother tongue. He queried incumbent Minister of Justice Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe PC on the measures he had taken to remedy the situation.  Dr. Rajapakshe noted that he had discussed this issue, which had been raised in Parliament earlier, with the Council of Legal Education headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Jayantha Jayasuriya PC, and that they had decided to proceed with the decision, without any changes, to hold internal examinations only in the English medium. He also noted that he would raise the issue again with the CJ and return to Parliament with a response within a short period.  Meanwhile, Chief Opposition Whip, SJB MP and Attorney Lakshman Kiriella noted that he too had followed the Law College curriculum in the English medium, but that this was later changed. He noted that the gazette paving the way for the Law College to conduct internal examinations only in the English medium was adopted during the Covid-19 period.  “Do not exact revenge from students. It is unfair,” he added. He also requested the authorities to provide a transitional period of two to three years before adopting the new rule.  Sabry told Parliament that he had only granted permission to adopt the gazette and make it legal, but that he had no involvement in making the decision. He further urged Kiriella to understand the context of Law College entrance examinations being faced in the English medium even by students from village schools.  “Once the students have entered the Law College, we must send them out to face the competition. When these students graduate after following the curriculum in their mother tongue, there will be two layers – lawyers who can speak English and those who cannot. Here, we are trying to create lawyers who can communicate in English, even if the students come from villages,” he added.  He queried as to why this could be done in the medical, engineering, information technology (IT), and management professions, but could not likewise occur in this profession. SJB MP Rauf Hakeem said: “When I was Minister of Justice, there were similar suggestions back then. I studied in a rural school in my mother tongue, and sat for some papers in the Tamil medium. We did not have any hindrance. We have to accept that there is an injustice here.” However, independent Opposition MP Chandima Weerakkody concurred with Sabry.  “As professionals, when we go to court, everything is in English. References should be made in the English language. It is no longer like before; written submissions are not referred from home, but online. Lawyers who understand English could refer online, but the cases of those who do not know the language would end there,” he added.  He was of the view that even if the measure made the process is difficult, it should be followed. Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa noted that this is a serious problem, and emphasised that a suitable system should be created, not from the Law College level, but from the preschool level, to solve this.  Independent Opposition MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said that this situation has persisted for many years, and that previously, he had worked with former Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle to change it.  “Some students told me later that the change turned out to be totally wrong. Now, they cannot communicate in English in courts. Do not change it. It is difficult, but let them learn.”


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