Sri Lanka to submit presidential pardons committee report to cabinet soon

Sri Lanka’s Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara says a committee report proposing a formal procedure for presidential pardons for prisoners serving death and life sentences will be submitted to the Cabinet soon.

The Minister made the announcement during a discussion held at Welikada Prison with prison officials, members of the committee and other relevant parties.

The committee’s main recommendations include introducing a formal procedure for granting presidential pardons, commuting death sentences to life imprisonment, reducing life imprisonment terms to 20 years, and allowing prisoners to receive home leave.

The committee was appointed to develop a formal mechanism for granting presidential general pardons to prisoners sentenced to death and life imprisonment in Sri Lanka.

It was chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice S. Thurairaja and submitted its recommendations after carrying out a 10-month study.

Meanwhile, Minister Nanayakkara met male and female remand prisoners who remain in custody due to delays in receiving reports from the Government Analyst.

The Justice Minister said arrangements have been made to obtain the pending Government Analyst reports without delay.