A special committee has been appointed to look into the possibility of granting life-sentences for all inmates who have been given the death penalty.
Justice Ministry Secretary Kamalani de Silva will chair the committee, reports indicate while several former judges, psychologists, sociologists, Prisons Ministry officials and representatives of the Attorney General’s Department will be included in the committee.
Authorities assured inmates at Bogambara prison, who protested against their sentences recently, that their issues will be looked into. A report was compiled by the Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Ministry on the matter and was handed over to the President.
Afterwards, the President advised that a special committee be appointed to look closely into the matter while future measures will be taken according to the committee’s findings.
Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem has directed the committee to look into each inmate’s case individually according to age.
There are around 425 inmates in Sri Lankan prisons who have been sentenced to death.
