The Hon. Hector Appuhamy
Hon. Hector Appuhamy, speaking during the Committee Stage debate on the Ministries of Justice and National Unity, said he had missed the Second Reading vote due to a parliamentary workshop in Tanzania on justice-related issues. He rejected the President’s suggestion of conspiracies against the Government and urged those in office to act as temporary custodians. He called on the Justice Minister to investigate reported allegations concerning the Law College, including claims involving an MP and the Principal’s appointment, and raised concerns about prison conditions, citing a visit to Welikada and urging reforms for inmates, women, and children.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Chairman.
¶ 02 We debate a very sensitive Head: the Ministries of Justice and National Unity. The Minister is highly capable. I could criticize, but then my colleagues might get upset.
¶ 03 I missed the Second Reading vote as I was at a special workshop in Tanzania with MPs and Ministers from 16 African countries, led by the Speaker of the Tanzanian Parliament—covering many justice-related themes, with approaches very different from ours.
¶ 04 Regarding the President’s speech yesterday: he seemed fearful—suggesting conspiracies to topple the Government. We have no such conspiracies. Everything is impermanent—so do not cling to office; be a temporary custodian.
¶ 05 On the Law College controversy—allegations about an MP cheating and broader issues about the Principal’s appointment reported on whatnews.lk—I urge the Minister to investigate and take appropriate action if warranted.
¶ 06 We should also speak about prisons. No one should suffer multiple punishments, yet with “Prisoners are human too” banners, we end up punishing them repeatedly through conditions. I visited Welikada with Hirunika Premachandra and saw the conditions for women and children. We must reform.
¶ 07 [Proceedings shifted to the full House.]
Provenance
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- Hansard, Saturday, 1 March 2025 ·No. 1741955797040395 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Hector Appuhamy. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 1 March 2025. No. 1741955797040395. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/342