Justice Minister briefs cabinet on drug convicts on death row

23 Jan, 2019

The Minister?of?Justice?and Prison Reforms?Thalatha?Atukorale briefed the cabinet yesterday on the steps taken by the Ministry to gather information on?drug convicts who are on death row, the Justice Ministry said today.

The Minister told the cabinet that after President Maithripala Sirisena had announced in July 2018 that the death sentence will be implemented on convicts on death row for serious drug related crimes, the?Justice Ministry had sought information on the convicts from the Department of Prisons.

The Department of Prisons had, that same month, sent a name list of 18 convicts to the?Justice Ministry.

The?Justice Ministry said that in July 2018 the then cabinet had approved a proposal by the President to implement the death sentence on?repeat offenders on death row for serious drug related crimes.

A name list on the convicts was also sent to the Attorney General in October last year. (Colombo Gazette)

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