The Legal Aid Commission conducted a Capacity Building Programme for Special Task Force Officers attached to the Colombo Head quarters on April 30. 150 STF Officers including SSPs, SPs, ASPs, CIs, IPs, SIs, Sergeant and Constables participated in this programme.
The main objective of this programme is to upgrade knowledge on Fundamental Rights and Criminal Procedure. The LAC conducted many capacity building programmes for STF Officers and Police Officers earlier in many districts. During the month of April, LAC Centres in Kurunagala, Horana and Galle also conducted similar capacity building programmes for STF Officers as requested by STF Headquarters. But this programme is special as it was a remarkable effort of Royal Collage Lawyers Association. The Resource Persons of the programme are old royalists and legal luminaries.
STF (old Royalist) Senior DIG and the Commandant M.R. Latiff requested the LAC Chairman and Royal Collage Lawyers Association President Rohan Sahabandu, PC, to organize training programs to STF Officer to upgrade their legal knowledge. All resource persons conducted the sessions as a pro-bono service representing Royal Collage Lawyers Association.
Kalinga Indratissa, PC, conducted a session on ‘Criminal Investigation.’ He discussed the applicability and practical aspects of Criminal Law focusing on Criminal Procedure Code, Penal Code and Evidence Ordinance. Senior State Counsel attached to the Attorney General’s Department Madhava Tennakoon conducted a session on ‘Fundamental Rights’ in Sri Lanka including Constitutional Provisions, Torture Act and Case studies. Attorney at Law and the Royal Collage Lawyers Association Secretary Harshana Mataraarachchi conducted a session on ‘Bail Act and Leading Evidence in Courts’ with practical aspects.
The panel of resource persons also conducted a discussion at the end of the programme on issues raised by participants. The LAC also distributed legal publications among the participants.
The LAC awarded certificates to all officers who completed the capacity building programme.
LAC Chairman Rohan Sahabandu, PC; Legal Officers of LAC, Head office Piyumi Kumari Samarasinghe and Thamarashi Wickramanayke, participated at the programme. This Programme was coordinated by LAC Legal Officer Piyumi Kumari Samarasinghe. The LAC would like to thank the Resource Persons and STF SDIG Commandant M.R. Latiff for supporting the LAC. The LAC further plans to continue this series of Capacity Building Programs for STF Officers Island-wide.
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