Sri Lanka’s government is drafting new legislation to allow suspects to be placed under house arrest instead of being remanded in custody, as part of efforts to address severe prison overcrowding, Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said on Thursday.
The minister noted that the country’s prisons, originally built to accommodate around 10,500 inmates, are currently housing nearly 39,000 prisoners. He explained that the primary reason for the overcrowding is the large number of remand prisoners who have not yet been convicted. According to him, approximately 28,000 inmates are in remand custody, including about 20,000 held on drug-related charges.
Nanayakkara stated that the proposed law, being prepared under the guidance of Yasantha Kodagoda, would empower courts to impose home detention in suitable cases instead of ordering suspects to be remanded in prison. This measure is expected to significantly ease congestion in correctional facilities.
He further pointed out that there is currently no structured mechanism to review or reduce sentences for prisoners serving life terms or facing the death penalty. A committee chaired by Thurairaja has been appointed to explore the introduction of a sentence reduction framework for long-term inmates.
The minister also revealed that Sri Lanka’s courts are burdened with approximately 1.1 million pending cases. However, he said the rate of case disposal has improved under the current Chief Justice, and new courts are being established, including special courts to hear cases related to the Easter Sunday attacks and bribery. Seven additional courts are expected to be set up in the near future.
Responding to a question about the recent shooting of a lawyer and his wife in Akuregoda, Nanayakkara stated that the broader legal community is not under threat due to court appearances, and emphasized that justice must be served in the case.
He also confirmed that the government will amend the proposed rent legislation following public feedback and will not proceed with passing the bill in its current form.
