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Sri Lanka
10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Sitting of Tuesday, 20 January 2026

10th Parliament· 23 debates· 219 speeches· 59 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23200 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard

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Order of business

Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.

  7. 7 Oral question Oral Question: Dumbara Prison Overcrowding (Q.21/2026) 6 speeches
    • The Hon. (Mrs.) Chamindranee Kiriella, Attorney-at-Law SJB

      AI summary Asked the Minister of Justice and National Integration to provide the current inmate population and official capacity of Dumbara Prison in Pallekele. She also requested details on measures to expedite new prison construction and reduce overcrowding, or reasons if such information or action cannot be provided.

      Justice & Human Rights Full speech →
    • The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law - Minister of Justice and National Integration JJB

      AI summary As of 4 January 2026, Dumbara Prison held 2,246 inmates, including 699 remand prisoners, against a broader prison system facing overcrowding above 300 per cent. The Minister stated that the new Dumbara Prison project, replacing the former Bogambara Prison and Kandy Remand Prison, is planned for 400 female and 2,500 male inmates with 102 official quarters, at a revised cost of Rs. 4,360 million, and that completed works currently allow accommodation of 2,139 inmates. He said further construction will depend on annual allocations, while measures including referring drug dependents to rehabilitation camps and using selected government buildings for temporary inmate accommodation are being arranged to ease overcrowding.

      Justice & Human RightsPublic FinanceInfrastructure Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Mrs.) Chamindranee Kiriella, Attorney-at-Law SJB

      AI summary Hon. Chamindranee Kiriella highlighted prison overcrowding, noting around 37,761 inmates, including approximately 27,000 remandees, and attributed the situation partly to court delays and inability to pay bail or fines. She asked whether the Government would consider measures such as bail funds and good-behaviour remissions, citing South Africa’s recent bail fund, to reduce remand populations and the estimated daily cost of Rs. 1,000 per inmate.

      Public FinanceJustice & Human Rights Full speech →
    • The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law - Minister of Justice and National Integration JJB

      AI summary Community-based corrections placed about 17,000 offenders under supervision without custodial sentences last year, and the Ministry plans to expand this programme. The Minister said NGOs and voluntary groups assist those unable to pay fines, but emphasized that prison overcrowding is driven mainly by remandees rather than fine defaulters. He stated that Government Analyst report delays are being addressed through Public Service Commission-approved recruitment of 50 analysts, with 32 more to follow, aiming to issue reports within about three months to support bail decisions.

      Justice & Human RightsPublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Mrs.) Chamindranee Kiriella, Attorney-at-Law SJB

      AI summary Citing the large number of drug-related offenders in prisons, the Member argued that rehabilitation is essential but underfunded and under-implemented. She noted that only 18% progress was achieved from the Rs. 500 million allocated in 2025 for drug-dependent rehabilitation, while the 2026 allocation of Rs. 10 million for prison rehabilitation amounts to about Rs. 300 per inmate, and asked whether funding would be increased.

      Public FinanceJustice & Human Rights Full speech →
    • The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law JJB

      AI summary Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara stated that the large remand population, including around 27,000 remandees, cannot undergo rehabilitation while on remand. He said rehabilitation work is being coordinated with the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, and the Justice Ministry’s Rehabilitation Division has been gazetted under the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs to prevent duplication and pool resources. He added that intensified drug prevention efforts are producing about 700 arrests daily, with many persons directed to voluntary rehabilitation centres, and that combined ministerial allocations will be supplemented if necessary under the President’s direction.

      Justice & Human RightsLaw & Order Full speech →