Prisoners sentenced to more than three years in prison must appear in court wearing clothing issued by the Department of Prisons, Prisons Media Spokesman and Commissioner Senaka Pallathtenna said in a statement on Tuesday.
He said the clarification followed differing views on social media about what prisoners wear when produced before courts.
Under prison regulations, where the sentence is less than three years, the prison superintendent may allow the person to wear the civilian clothing they wore before sentencing. A Buddhist monk in that situation may be permitted to wear robes, Pallathtenna said.
He said a Buddhist monk given a sentence of simple imprisonment may remain in robes while serving it, but a person given rigorous imprisonment must wear prison-issued clothing.
Pallathtenna said more than 73 members of the clergy are serving prison sentences across the country, and all of them wear prison-issued clothing.
