Police have stated that no special security would be provided for lawyers appearing on behalf of organised crime suspects, as public concern continued to mount following last week’s fatal shooting of an attorney-at-law and his wife in Akuregoda.
Police Media Spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police and AAL, F.U. Wootler has told the media that no special security arrangements would be made for lawyers defending organised crime suspects beyond the standard protection afforded to all citizens. “Other than the security that is provided by the Police to citizens, special security arrangements will not be made to safeguard the protection of the lawyers that represent organised crime suspects in court,” Wootler has said, adding that representing clients is part of the professional duty of Attorneys.
The statement comes in the wake of a daylight shooting on 13 February 2026 that claimed the lives of Attorney at Law Buddhika Mallawarachchi and his wife Nisansala Mallawarachchi. The couple was inside their vehicle near a supermarket in Akuregoda when two unidentified gunmen had arrived in another car and opened fire before fleeing the scene. The slain lawyer is reported to have represented various organised crime figures.
Meanwhile, two brothers were arrested on Monday (16) in Kottawa for allegedly aiding and abetting in the killing of Mallawarachchi and his wife. The suspects, aged 20 and 24, have been arrested by the officers attached to the Western Province South Crimes Range. A car suspected to have been used by them has also been taken into custody, the Police stated.
Meanwhile, legal proceedings across the country faced significant disruption on Monday (16) as thousands of lawyers withdrew from their professional duties. The strike was a collective response to the murder of an attorney and his wife in Akuregoda.
The mass boycott resulted in the postponement of approximately 1,000 cases nationwide, affecting every level of the judiciary from the Supreme Court down to Magistrate’s Courts.
The decision was reached during an emergency general meeting of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) held on Sunday (15).
BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya stated the symbolic protest served as a clear message to the State. He emphasised that such killings should not happen to anyone, regardless of their profession. “The Government has a fundamental responsibility to establish public safety and the rule of law,” Amarasuriya has stated, adding that the legal community is prepared to offer its support and guidance to the State, but insisted that this must be the final such tragedy. He has further called for the immediate arrest of all individuals involved in the crime.
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