Category: Books

TORTURE: AN ENTRENCHED PART OF CRUEL, INHUMAN & DEGRADING LEGAL SYSTEMS

Books, TORTURE: AN ENTRENCHED PART OF CRUEL August 9, 2017August 10, 2017 Admin 0 Comments

This book consists of several essays written over a long period of time. They all converge on the problem of impunity and the impact it has on individuals and the legal system as a whole. The individual cases that are discussed and reflected on in this book illustrate things that routinely happen within the criminal justice framework of Sri Lanka. Through individual stories, it is possible to narrate what happens when people seek justice for perceived wrongs. It is important to understand the gravity and nature of the wrongs people suffer under dysfunctional legal systems. For example, in one of the cases, a man went to the Supreme Court to […]

Tragicomedy of Constitutional Autochthony

Books, Tragicomedy of Constitutional Autochthony January 1, 2015January 16, 2017 admin 0 Comments

“Tragicomedy of Constitutional Autochthony”, by Basil Fernando, is a compendium of articles linked to a common theme which is the need for recognising that the legal system in Sri Lanka and in particular the justice system is facing a threat of being alienated from the people. The short essays is an attempt to direct the attention of all Sri Lankans to this crisis. [gview file=”http://alrc.asia/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/The-Tragicomedy-of-Constitutional-Authochthony.pdf”]  

Undermining of the Legal and Political Systems

Books, Undermining of the Legal and Political Systems December 31, 2014January 16, 2017 admin 0 Comments

Latest AHRC publication “Undermining of the Legal and Political Systems” by Basil Fernando  explores in detail the all-pervading societal crisis that has been created by the undermining of both the political and the criminal justice administration systems in the country and work towards greater democratisation of the political system and the return to the rule of law. [gview file=”http://alrc.asia/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Undermining-of-the-Legal-and-Political-Systems.pdf”]

Deterioration of the Legal Intellect in Sri Lanka – A Miraculous Cure is Possible

Books, Deterioration of the Legal Intellect in Sri Lanka December 30, 2014January 16, 2017 admin 0 Comments

( June 16, 2015 – Hong Kong ) We are sharing with you, the most recent publication of AHRC, entitled:  Deterioration of the Legal Intellect in Sri Lanka – A Miraculous Cure is Possible. It is a collection of recently published articles written by Basil Fernando, on problems of the Sri Lankan Justice System-i.e. Police, prosecutors and judicial system, which obstruct democracy and rule of law. Author suggests some basic changes that that may help to resolve these problems.

AHRC and ALRC: History & Achievements

History & Achievements September 1, 2014January 16, 2017 admin 0 Comments

HISTORY & ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION & THE ASIAN LEGAL RESOURCE CENTRE, traces 30 years of work of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and its sister organisation the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC). Both the AHRC and the ALRC are based in Hong Kong, and work in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, and China. The organisations were launched in 1984. The period was marked by the emergence of several authoritarian regimes in Asia. General Ne Win established a military regime in Burma in 1962.  General Suharto established yet another military dictatorship in Indonesia after a horrendous massacre […]

A Sociological Exploration of Disappearances in Sri Lanka

A Sociological Exploration Of Disappearances In Sri Lanka May 1, 2014January 16, 2017 admin 0 Comments

The last four decades of political violence in Sri Lanka have witnessed the enforced disappearance of tens of thousands of Sri Lankans. While much of the relevant literature has contextualised disappearance as a counter-insurgency strategy in the context of armed confrontation, the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009 did not bring about an end to the phenomenon. The hypothesis of this study is that political competition was the motive behind disappearances, which served as an integral part of a system of state power and patronage to enable the political elite to immobilise all political opposition. As a central component of this political project, […]

The Law, Patriarchy and Religious Fundamentalism: Women’s Rights in Pakistan

Books, Women's Rights in Pakistan December 1, 2013January 16, 2017 admin 0 Comments

The women of Pakistan bear the brunt of poor governance, military strife, and the corruption of the social, political and economic systems which surround them. W omen make up 49% of the population of Pakistan, yet they are continuously marginalized and discriminated against by the middle class and feudal societies, and through political and social structures which are inherently misogynistic. Recently, eruptions of violence in cities across the region have prompted new concerns that militia are specifically targeting women in their terror campaigns. As an explicitly Muslim state, the women of Pakistan are beholden to a number of Islamic principles. For one, the family is seen as the nucleus of […]

Human Rights and Governance: Bangladesh

Books, Human Rights and Governance: Bangladesh November 6, 2013January 16, 2017 admin 0 Comments

(Hong Kong, November 6, 2013): The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) has published a new book titled, “Human Rights and Governance: Bangladesh” edited by Md Shariful Islam, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Dhaka, and contributed by eleven authors, including the editor, in nine chapters. The edited volume is an outcome of an ALRC project titled, “Corruption, Torture and Extrajudicial Killing in BANGLADESH: Examining the Role of State Institutions” that took place mostly between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012. As the excerpt of the book puts it: So long as democracy is understood in terms of the guarantee of basic human rights, this is crucially […]

The Neglected Genocide – Human rights abuses against Papuans in the Central Highlands, 1977 – 1978

Special Report October 25, 2013January 17, 2017 admin 0 Comments

Please note that on 25.10.2013 at 12.00 a.m. (GMT +8) an updated version of the report was put online with a corrected image on page 32 and page 94 Title : The Neglected Genocide – Human rights abuses against Papuans in the Central Highlands, 1977 – 1978 ISBN : 978-962-8314-63-8 (online) Language : English, Indonesian ‘The Neglected Genocide’ is a report detailing a series of human rights abuses that took place in the Central Highlands of Papua, during the military operations in 1977-1978. In this publication, the AHRC reports that at least 4,146 Papuans, including children, women, and the elderly were killed. The research found that the methods of killing […]

ASIA: Narrative of Justice in Sri Lanka

ASIA: Narrative of Justice in Sri Lanka June 28, 2013January 17, 2017 admin 0 Comments

A Publication by the Asian Legal Resource Centre Print Version ISBN: 978-962-8161-11-9 Online Version ISBN: 978-962-8161-12-6 The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), the sister organisation of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) announces the publication of Narrative of Justice in Sri Lanka as told through the stories of torture victims. The book contains 736 pages. This book records the stories of 400 cases of torture out of over 2,000 cases which were researched and published by the AHRC and the ALRC over the last ten years. The victims of torture were interviewed in great detail and assisted to pursue their complaints to the Sri Lankan authorities. The ALRC researchers have […]