A five-member special committee was appointed on Thursday, on the instructions of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, to update the rules, regulations and standing orders under the Prisons Ordinance.
The committee was formed after a discussion on Thursday afternoon between the President and the Maha Sangha representing the three Nikayas.
Its members are Prince Senadheera, Secretary of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs; Piyumanthi Peiris, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and National Integration; and Wasantha Ariyarathna, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government. The others are R.M.G. Senarathna, Commissioner-General of Buddhist Affairs, and A.C. Gajanayake, Commissioner of Prisons.
The committee is to identify amendments needed to strengthen efficiency, good governance, security, cultural values and the rule of law in the prison system, and to submit its recommendations. The review is meant to keep the rules in line with current religious, cultural, legal, administrative and practical requirements.