Attending the National People’s Power (NPP) lawyers’ Conference NPP Presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the gathering of former judges and legal professionals is significant, as it is they who play the crucial role in identifying early signs of political shifts in the country.

The NPP Lawyers’ Conference was held on 7 September at the Taj Samudra hotel, which underscored the significance of aligning national goals with the aims of those in power. Speakers emphasised that ensuring equality before the law is essential for addressing fundamental issues in governance.

Addressing the gathering Dissanayake said: “Majority of citizens would walk to cast their vote expecting to create a better nation. The rulers have destroyed these hopes of the people. We need a country where the rulers’ and people’s expectations correspond. All this time, in our country, governments were established with ideologies that conflicted with that of the people. Here lies the problem.

Today corruption and bribery are often viewed as entitlement rather than offences. People believe that they should return the favour when a minister donates them a piece of land. Today bribery is considered as one's duty and another’s right. We definitely need to change this political culture.”

The discussion at the conference centred on the importance of holding decision-makers accountable and implementing effective legal systems to manage and distribute responsibilities. “It is imperative for the nation’s progress to enforce the rule of law and tackle systemic issues in governance,” they stated.

The experts stressed the urgent need for legal reforms to ensure that citizen’s rights and responsibilities are upheld by the legal system.

The gathering reaffirmed the commitment of legal professionals to advocate for essential reforms  in governance and legal practices.