Our mandate is to establish the rule of law and restore respect and confidence in Sri Lanka’s justice system
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya made these remarks in Parliament on July 24 while responding to the debate rised on the no-confidence motion against the Minister of Justice and National Integration.
Participating in the parliamentary debate on the no-confidence motion against the Minister of Justice and National Integration, the Prime Minister emphasized that the Opposition had failed to substantiate its allegations with facts and had instead relied on rhetoric and personal attacks.
The Prime Minister further stated,
“There is no doubt that the incident that occurred on 5 and 6 July was tragic, and the loss of life is unacceptable. It is not something that can be accepted or condoned in any way.
Members of the Opposition must establish, through evidence and facts, how exactly the Minister of Justice and National Integration is solely responsible for what happened, and how his conduct before, during and after the incident amounted to a breach of trust. Noise, personal attacks, venom and rhetoric do not establish facts.
What we are hearing today is a distortion of the truth, misrepresentation of facts, half-truths at best, and a deliberate effort to viciously attack a member of the Cabinet. That does not establish the intent of this no-confidence motion.
The Prime Minister further noted that many of the structural deficiencies within the prison system predated the current administration and had remained unresolved for years.
She noted that longstanding vacancies in the prison service had persisted since 2022 but that the present Government had taken steps to address them.
“During the past year, 695 prison guards have been recruited, a further 190 recruitments are underway, and 18 Assistant Superintendents have been appointed. This is the first time since 2022 that these vacancies have begun to be filled.”
The Prime Minister further emphasized that the reforms undertaken to strengthen the Government Analyst’s Department, including filling vacancies, allocating funds for essential equipment, initiating procurement processes, and reviewing procedures to improve efficiency.
Addressing the need to ensure that the numbers of people in the remand are reduced , the Prime Minister stated legal reforms were already in progress, including amendments to the Poisons and Dangerous Drugs Act, which will soon be presented to Parliament. The Prime Minister stated that, “It is not that the Minister has failed to address these issues. Law reform does not happen overnight. It requires due process, and those processes are well underway.”
The Prime Minister also outlined measures taken by the present Minister of justice and national integration to improve prison conditions, including expanding healthcare services for prisoners and prison staff in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, introducing inpatient and specialized medical services, appointing new healthcare personnel, and improving access to treatment.
In addition, she highlighted rehabilitation initiatives aimed at reducing reoffending, including community rehabilitation programmes and vocational training to equip prisoners with employable skills upon release.
Reaffirming the Government’s commitment to comprehensive justice sector reforms, the Prime Minister further stated,
“Our mandate was to establish the rule of law and restore respect and confidence in Sri Lanka’s justice system.”
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized that the Government inherited a justice system that had been weakened by years of systemic corruption, institutional inefficiencies, and longstanding structural shortcomings. The Prime Minister further stated,
The task of cleaning up a such correpured system is not easy. This incident is also needed to understand in that particular context of how the prison system was operated in the past It is this corrupted system that the Minister has been entrusted with the responsibility of cleaning up. This involves investigation within the Institution itself. It is not a easy task. This government has undertaken this difficult challenge.
It is very clear that this opposition so far will not be able to establish any facts that support the motion that they have brought forward. This is retorical exercises. This is not about justice system. This is another cheap effort by the opposition to get attention and part of a push back against the very reforms the government and the ministry has been undertaken.
Prime Minister’s Media Division