Minister of Justice and National Integration, Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara, says steps will be taken to promptly submit to the Cabinet a report prepared by a committee appointed to establish a formal procedure for granting presidential pardons to convicted prisoners.
The Minister made these remarks while inspecting the Colombo Remand Prison (CRP), New Magazine Prison and Welikada Prison and discussing issues faced by male and female inmates.
A committee headed by retired Supreme Court Justice S. Thurairaja was appointed to formulate a formal mechanism for granting presidential pardons to prisoners sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
Minister Nanayakkara said the committee’s report had been submitted following a 10-month study.
The committee has made recommendations on establishing a formal procedure for granting presidential pardons, commuting death sentences to life imprisonment, reducing life imprisonment terms to 20 years, and allowing eligible inmates to go on home leave.
The Minister said the relevant proposals aimed at establishing a formal mechanism for the release of prisoners sentenced to death or life imprisonment through a general pardon system would be presented to the Cabinet.
Meanwhile, after meeting male and female inmates held in remand custody due to delays in obtaining Government Analyst’s reports, Minister Nanayakkara said arrangements had been made to expedite the issuance of such reports.
