Committee Report On Presidential Pardons To Be Submitted To Cabinet

COLOMBO (News 1st): Minister of Justice and National Integration, Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara said that the report of the committee appointed to formulate a formal procedure for granting presidential pardons to prisoners sentenced to death and life imprisonment will be promptly submitted to the Cabinet,

He made these remarks during a discussion held at the Welikada Prison, with the participation of prison officials, committee members and other stakeholders.

Among the committee’s key recommendations are establishing a formal procedure for granting presidential pardons, commuting death sentences to life imprisonment, reducing life sentences to 20 years, and granting home leave to prisoners.

The committee, headed by retired Supreme Court Judge S. Thurairaja, was appointed to formulate a formal procedure for granting presidential pardons to prisoners sentenced to death and life imprisonment

The committee has submitted the relevant recommendations following a study conducted over ten months.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Justice met with remand prisoners being held in custody due to delays in obtaining Government Analyst reports.

During the meeting, the Minister said that necessary procedures have been formulated to obtain those reports expeditiously.