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Towards promotion and   protection of  human rights , rule of law and access to justice in Sri  lanka

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The Lawyers for Human Rights and Development (LHRD) came into being at a time:  -	when thousands of workers, thrown out of their jobs following the July 1980 General Strike, were demanding their jobs back;  -	when thousands of farmers were being prosecuted and sent to jail for their inability to pay the newly introduced water tax for irrigation water;  -	when thousands of farmers were being evicted from their lands and land thus recovered being given to foreign multi-national companies for sugarcane cultivation in  Moneragala  District; -	when hundreds of poor fishermen were losing their livelihood due to the introduction of trawlers in the shallow coastal waters

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The initiative for founding the LHRD was taken in 1985 by a group of social activists involved in protecting the rights of workers, peasants and fishermen affected by the development activities of the Government.  -	The idea of setting up a People’s Chamber where people affected by development activities can seek relief emerged at a casual meeting of three persons -  Upali   Magederagamage , the Coordinator of National Development Foundation, D. W.  Appuhamy , the General Secretary of All Lanka Peasants Congress and  Kalyananda   Tiranagama , a Lawyer with long term involvement in social justice issues. -	 Kalyananda   Tiranagama  was entrusted to contact lawyers agreeable with the idea. B. Sri  Skanthadas , another social justice lawyer who later migrated to Australia, assisted  Tiranagama  in identifying a group of lawyers with a sense of social justice. M.  Jaufer  A. Hassen supported the idea and preliminary meetings were held in his office at Lawyers’ Complex,  Hulfsdorp . V. C. B.  Unantenne  helped in drafting the LHRD Constitution. Senior Counsel Mr. R. K. W.  Goonesekere  and Mr. T. W. Rajaratnam, retired Supreme Court Judge backed the initiative.  The LHRD was founded at the inaugural meeting held on June 14, 1986 at the Organization of Professional Associations (OPA) and presided over by Mr. R. K. W.  Goonesekere . Mr. T. W. Rajaratnam participated as a guest speaker.

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•	Lawyers for Human Rights and Development (LHRD) is a non profit making non governmental organization of lawyers dedicated to the task of all-round human development of the poor, assisting their right to development and the promotion and protection of human rights.  VISION of LHRD •	To create a society where human rights are respected and right to life is ensured and where all human beings can live with human dignity in peace and happiness under a democratic set-up with good governance and the rule of law and without any fear of deprivation, violence or discrimination of any form.  MISSION of LHRD •	Promoting and protecting human rights including the rights of women, children and other vulnerable groups in society; Raising awareness in the community of human and legal rights; Training of activists of CBOs and NGOs; Legal aid and legal assistance to victims of violation of rights; Taking legal action against violators of human rights; Research and study on socio-legal / socio-economic issues; Advocacy for law reforms and training of personnel involved in the law enforcement; and Promotion of democracy, the rule of law and good governance.

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•	The Executive Committee consists of the office bearers and 4 other members elected or co-opted for any specific purpose and one of whom shall be the Executive Director. The Executive Committee is responsible for policy formulations, decides on the Work Program and lays down guidelines for the Working Committee. •	The Working Committee, comprising of General Secretary, Treasurer and Executive Director is responsible for the implementation of the work programs.  •	The Executive Director attends to the day to day administration of the LHRD.  •	LHRD Staff, comprising mainly of young lawyers, law graduates and research officers, is entrusted with implementation of different program activities.

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LHRD provides legal advice, assistance and aid to victims of rights violations.      Legal education features high in our list of priorities.  LHRD conducts legal literacy and Para-legal training  programmes  to create awareness among people of laws applicable to them and the protection it affords them. Public seminars are held to sensitize the public on vital issues.    Among the recipients of our services are people of all ethnic communities with grievances, be they detainees, political prisoners, women, children, workers, peasants or victims of human rights violations.   LHRD operates a People’s Chamber to which people seeking redress for grievances have access 5 days a week.  People from all walks of life come through the doors of the People’s Chamber seeking relief. A large number of legal queries received through the mail are promptly attended to by our staff. We also intervene with authorities on behalf of people where necessary.   Under its wide mandate, LHRD intervenes on a multitude of human rights issues. The emphasis of activities varies depending on the needs of the society at a given time.  In the first 5-6 years LHRD gave priority to the legal aid  programme  as there were a number of instances where lands grabbed from peasants were sold to multinationals, unrest initially in the North and later in the South, beginning from late 1987 and persisting for nearly three years, an era that spawned and firmly entrenched unprecedented political violence and fear psychosis in this country.     At a time when all human rights organizations were forced to go into hiding in the face of extra judicial killings, LHRD alone functioned visiting police stations, camps, and prisons and intervening with authorities on behalf of detainees and providing legal aid to a large number of political prisoners.     After country regained some semblance of normalcy, LHRD, realizing the necessity of educating people on their human and legal rights to strengthen them, revitalized its legal awareness  programme .   With the idea of inculcating respect for human rights in the hearts and minds of the younger generation, in early 1990s LHRD organized annually an all-island Essay and Poster Competition on Human Rights in celebration of the International Human Rights Day.    The  Women’s Desk , formed in October 1989, deals with issues concerning women more efficiently.  In addition to its legal work, educational  programmes , intervention with authorities and lobbying, the Women’s Desk publishes a quarterly newsletter- Kantha- on women’s issues.    The  Children’s Desk  provides legal aid and assistance to children in all parts of the country, represents their interest in courts of law and conducts awareness  programmes  on Child Rights and research into laws and procedures relating to the protection of children with a view to law reform.   Under the  Good Governance  Programme ,  LHRD challenges the constitutionality of Bills presented in Parliament; takes part in combating Bribery and Corruption in society and administration; and seeks to strengthen the Rule of the Law and Human Rights.   Realizing the need for regional co-operation to strengthen the human rights situation LHRD convened Regional meetings on Human Rights in 1991 and 1994.

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Programs  Women desk            Children desk     good governance

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ACTIVITIES  CIVIC ENGAGMENT  LEGAL ASSISTANCE  CAMPAIGN AND ADVOCACY