Shirani Bandaranayake (right) was able to speak to the media despite the close attention of police
Sri Lanka's president has appointed a close ally to replace the chief justice who was sacked two days after being impeached by parliament on Friday.
Former attorney general and senior government legal adviser Mohan Peiris was appointed on Tuesday to replace Shirani Bandaranayake.
Her removal was pronounced unlawful by the courts and condemned by the opposition and many lawyers.
Ms Bandaranayake said on Tuesday that her life was in danger.
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says that the former chief justice was able to tell journalists from her car as she left home that her life and those of her husband and son were in danger, despite police attempts to stop her speaking.
In a statement released on Tuesday she said that "the very tenor of [the] rule of law, natural justice and judicial abeyance has not only been ousted, but brutally mutilated".
She added: "I have suffered because I stood for an independent judiciary and withstood the pressures."
Describing the accusations levelled against her as "blatant lies", she said that she was "totally innocent of all charges".
"Since it now appears that there might be violence if I remain in my official residence or my chambers, I am compelled to move out of my official residence and chambers," she added.
The government denies it turned against her after some unfavourable judgements.
'Unconstitutional'
Ms Bandaranayake, 54, faced a parliamentary committee late last year which investigated charges of financial and official misconduct against her. It found her guilty of three out of 14 misconduct charges.
But two recent court rulings found the impeachment process was unconstitutional.
On Sunday President Mahinda Rajapaksa ratified parliament's vote to impeach her.
But she is still being recognised by most lawyers, many of whom have condemned her removal as politically motivated.
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