Sri Lanka's New Human Rights Commission

Abstract

A human rights commission is a state sponsored and state funded entity set up under an act of parliament or under the constitution, with the broad objective of protecting and promoting human rights. With this overall objective in mind, a human rights commission may perform a range of functions. These functions include dispute resolution through adjudication or mediation, human rights education, documentation and research, advising governments on human rights issues, and setting human rights standards. Responding to a burgeoning interest in national institutions, the Sri Lankan Parliament passed legislation in July 1996, establishing a new and permanent Human Rights Commission (HRC) for the country.1 The legislation sets up a unique institution and marks an important milestone for the protection and promotion of human rights in Sri Lanka. The Human Rights Commission Act contemplates an institution that performs a broad range of functions, from investigating and mediating human rights violations to advising the government on appropriate legislative and administrative procedures.2 The president of Sri Lanka appointed the five-member HRC in March 1997, seven months after the enactment of the Human Rights Commission Act.3 Unfortunately there are no women among the five members, and only one of the members has previous direct involvement in