A recommendation to release prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment after 20 years

Justice and National Integration Minister, Attorney Harsha Nanayakkara, states that the report of the committee appointed to formulate a formal mechanism for granting presidential general pardon to inmates sentenced to death and life imprisonment will be submitted to the Cabinet expeditiously.

The Minister made this statement while participating in a special discussion held at Welikada Prison with the participation of all stakeholders in the field, including prison officials and appointed committee members.

This special committee was appointed under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court Judge S. Thureiraja, and the committee members have been engaged in an extensive study for ten months to formulate the relevant formal mechanism.

Formulating a formal program for the presidential pardon process, commuting the sentences of inmates sentenced to death to life imprisonment, reducing the sentences of those serving life imprisonment to 20 years, and granting home leave for inmates are among the main recommendations of this committee report.