The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law - Minister of Justice and National Integration

¶ 01 (a) (i) By letter No. K.07/MDN/Committee/Parliamentary Questions/11/2026 dated 05.02.2026 from the Commissioner General of Prisons, it has been informed that 793 prisoners who had been sentenced to death, in respect of whom all appeals had been exhausted and who have not received Presidential Pardon as provided for in Article 34 of the Constitution, are being held in prison. (ii) I refuse to provide such a list so as to protect the privacy of the prisoners.

¶ 02 (b) (i) I agree. (ii) It is known that former Presidents had done so. (iii) In the cases mentioned in (ii) above, it appears that in certain instances, action had been taken based on committee recommendations and, in certain other instances, on an individual basis.

¶ 03 (c) (i) I have appointed, with Cabinet approval, a committee with the participation of a Supreme Court Judge to carry out this process on an objective basis. It consists of members representing subject-related arms such as the Ministry of Justice and National Integration, the Attorney-General’s Department, the Sri Lanka Police, etc. Upon receipt of the report of the said committee, it will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval and the procedure will be prepared according to its recommendations based on that approval. (ii) Further steps will be taken according to the recommendations of that report.

¶ 04 (d) Does not arise.