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| Wednesday, 16 June 2004 |
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by Sandasen Marasinghe Justice and Judicial Reforms Minister W. D. J. Seneviratne said that a Special Committee would be appointed within next week to consider the matter with regard to reducing the terms of life imprisonment of 147 detainees to 20 years. He made this observation yesterday at a press briefing held at the Justice and Judicial Ministry auditorium. The press briefing was held following the handing over of the Committee report regarding the fast held by prisoners on the roof of the Welikada prison between May 7 to 10, to the Justice and Judicial Reforms Minister by the Chairman of the Committee former Prison Commissioner General M. G. Dharmadasa. The Committee appointed by the Minister comprised Senior State Counsel Dappula de Livera, Senior Assistant Secretary to the Justice Minister Kamalini de Silva and Assistant Secretary to the Justice Minister A. K. D. D. Arandara including M. G. Dharmadasa (Chairman). The Minister said there were 147 detainees who were sentenced to life imprisonment according to the Report and he would appoint a Special Committee to consider whether the life imprisonment could be reduced to 20 years. In addition another Committee would be appointed to consider submitting of reports continuously on the question of reducing life imprisonment terms to twenty years. This Committee would also study whether re introducing the hangman would act as a deterrent in controlling the rising crime wave witnessed at present. Further steps would be taken to appoint another Committee to identify administrative and material problems in prisons. The Minister also stated that reports should be prepared four yearly on detainees who were sentenced to life imprisonment and the Prisons Commissioner should forward those reports to the Justice Minister and who will hand it over to the President. Presently the death sentence is automatically a life imprisonment term under the common amnesty. The reducing of the life imprisonment to 20 years was based on the reports prepared once every in four years. Although these reports were forwarded continuously it stopped in 1997 due to the rising crime wave. Later it was suggested to appoint a Committee to continue the process on a clear policy but this too did not function. Hence the four yearly reports on these 147 detainees were not forwarded and there is now a need to ensure justice is done to them. |
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