Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa and Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara met Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith on Thursday and briefed him on the government’s judicial and prison reform programme.
The meeting was held at the Archbishop’s Palace in Colombo and focused on recent developments in the judicial and prison sectors, both of which have drawn sustained public attention in recent months, as well as on the reforms the government has proposed.
The ministers set out the measures being taken to address problems in the two sectors, strengthen public confidence in the justice system and ensure the timely delivery of justice. They also sought to clarify concerns about the reform package, telling the Cardinal that certain groups were circulating misinformation about the proposed changes.
Nanayakkara briefed the Archbishop specifically on plans to improve the efficiency of the judicial system and on the reforms being prepared for the prison sector.
The government said the meeting was intended to provide accurate information about the reform process and to obtain the views of religious and social leaders.
Both sectors have been under scrutiny. Cabinet approved a constitutional amendment bill this week to raise the judicial retirement age to 68, a measure that has been contested in Parliament and by sections of the legal profession for months. In the prison system, the Justice Ministry is drafting legislation to introduce house arrest and other alternatives to custody in response to severe overcrowding, which came under renewed focus after the Negombo Prison riot in July left 31 people dead.
Cardinal Ranjith is among the most prominent public voices on justice and accountability in Sri Lanka, largely through his sustained campaign over the investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
