If it involves serious work and is for more than three years, according to the law, the robes will definitely be removed - Commissioner General of Prisons

Prison Media Spokesman, Commissioner of Prisons Senaka Pallethanna states that according to prison regulations, any person sentenced to more than three years of imprisonment, regardless of their social status, must appear in court dressed in the prison uniform issued by the prison.

He made this statement in a clarification issued amidst various opinions being expressed on social media regarding the prison attire of inmates.

As the Commissioner pointed out, the attire an inmate wears during their period of imprisonment is determined by the nature of the sentence they received. If a Buddhist monk has been sentenced to simple imprisonment by the honorable court, they can remain in their robes (civara) while serving that sentence in prison. However, he emphasized that if the sentence involves rigorous imprisonment, any person must wear the prison uniform.

When presenting a convicted person to court, the rules also vary according to the duration of the sentence. If the relevant sentence is less than three years, the Prison Superintendent can grant permission for the person to appear in court in the civilian clothes they were wearing before the sentence was imposed. In such a case, the Commissioner stated that a monk could also be allowed to appear in court wearing their robes.

"However, any person considered to be in any status who has been sentenced to more than three years of imprisonment must be presented to the honorable court dressed in the attire issued by the prison," he said.

Meanwhile, the Prison Media Spokesman further pointed out that more than 63 religious dignitaries are currently serving sentences in prisons across the island, and they too are in prison uniform.