Sri Lanka's new foreign minister has reiterated his government's stance that international judges cannot work in Sri Lanka to hear cases of alleged war crimes.<br/><br/>Thilak Marapana, who assumed charge as new foreign minister today, said the Sri Lankan Constitution does not permit foreign judges to operate in the country and hear cases. <br/><br/>The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution co-sponsored by Sri Lanka in 2015 called for a hybrid international mechanism to hear alleged cases of war crimes blamed on the government troops and the LTTE. <br/><br/>However, the minister said the UNHRC has not advocated foreign judges to sit during the judgment of cases. Tamil and international rights organizations have demanded foreign judges to probe alleged human rights violations during the LTTE war as they have no trust in the country's judiciary. <br/><br/>Sri Lanka maintains that since the new government came into power in 2015, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary has been established.