Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Media Release

Response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Judgement by the Australian Federal Court with regard to a case filed against the former Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Canberra

Contents

The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to the recent media reports regarding a judgement given by the Australian Federal Court in a case against the former Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Canberra.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to state that it is the standard practice that diplomats are facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take domestic assistants to assist their official representational duties. The domestic assistant in question served a full three-year term, and on the eve of the employer’s originally intended departure from Australia, absconded the residence of the employer.

The allowance approved by the Ministry as the salary of the employee has been paid to her. The Ministry is satisfied that the said salary was paid to the domestic assistant by the employer as mutually agreed.