- Sri Lanka, a South Asian nation, has a history of involving foreign jurists and investigators in its judicial mechanisms. This practice was initially suggested in a United Nations report on alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka and was later included in a draft resolution co-sponsored by the U.S.
- Over the past half-century, Sri Lanka has sought the expertise of international judges and investigators on numerous occasions.
- For instance, in 1963, a Commission of Inquiry was established to investigate the assassination of former Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. The Commission included judges from Egypt and Ghana, and their report was published two years later, concluding that no organized body was directly or indirectly involved in the assassination.
- In 1993, following the assassination of Lalith Athulathmudali, a leader of a faction of the United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka allowed Scotland Yard to assist local law enforcement agencies with the investigation. The British agency found no evidence of government or ruling party involvement.
- Later that year, the Sri Lankan government established a commission of inquiry, composed of judges from Ghana, New Zealand, and Nigeria, to investigate the death of Northern Commander Lt Gen. Denzil Kobbekaduwa.
- In 2006, the government of Mahinda Rajapaksa formed a commission of inquiry led by Supreme Court Judge Nissanka Kumara Udalagama to investigate allegations of human rights violations since August 1, 2005.
- A few months later, an 11-member International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) was formed to oversee the work of the Udalagama commission. However, the IIGEP ceased its operations in March 2008, citing a lack of political will on the part of the government.
- According to former Foreign Minister and law professor G.L. Peiris, while obtaining technical inputs from foreign experts on legal or forensic matters is acceptable, handing over the investigation to foreign judges is "totally unacceptable."
Foreign Role in Probes and Investigations in Sri Lanka
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