Topic
Justice & Human Rights
2,079 speeches · 258 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney at Law, M.P. JJB | 162 |
| 2 | Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 96 |
| 3 | Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna, M.P. Independent Group 17 - Jaffna | 84 |
| 4 | Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney at Law, M.P. SJB | 79 |
| 5 | Hon. Ajith P. Perera, M.P. SJB | 71 |
| 6 | Hon. Ananda Wijepala, M.P. JJB | 67 |
| 7 | Hon. Mujibur Rahman, M.P. SJB | 60 |
| 8 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 52 |
| 9 | Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, M.P. ITAK | 48 |
| 10 | Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa, M.P. JJB | 47 |
Speeches
2,079 on this topic- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara clarified that the proposed replacement for the PTA has been drafted and is being translated into Sinhala and Tamil before release for public consultation. He also stated that the Independent Prosecutor’s Office is a manifesto commitment rather than a response to external pressure, and that a committee headed by Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, including the Attorney-General and others, is examining it. He said objections from the Legal Officers’ Association and other public views would be considered, while the Government intends to proceed with its stated policy. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem raised concerns over recurring communal and religious tensions, including disputes over temples and Shabbat houses, and proposed a race relations body with decision-making powers to handle such issues. He questioned the use of the TID and PTA-related processes against individuals commenting on these matters on social media, linking this to the Government’s pledge in Geneva to abolish the PTA. He criticized the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s response to Israel’s attack on Qatar for not naming Israel, and alleged excessive sensitivity to criticism of Israel. He also supported establishing an Independent Public Prosecutor’s Office, citing concerns about politically motivated prosecutions and the case of Hejaaz Hizbullah. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara stated that the widow of the person under discussion travels by three-wheeler, implying a contrast with any assumptions about her circumstances or entitlements. The remark appears to highlight the widow’s modest situation in the context of the debate. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Thushari Jayasingha, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Thushari Jayasingha supported the Rs. 58.5 billion allocation to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration, stating that it should be used to strengthen court infrastructure, staffing, and mechanisms to reduce case delays. She emphasized the need for adequate facilities for preliminary inquiries and greater support for quasi-judicial bodies such as mediation boards to resolve disputes and reduce court workloads. She also referred to digitalization and improved resources for court records, while asserting the independence of the judiciary and urging implementation of the allocation to uplift the justice sector. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Harshana Rajakaruna SJB AI summary Hon. Harshana Rajakaruna urged the Government to expedite investigations and prosecutions relating to the Easter Sunday attacks, media killings and attacks, Prageeth Ekneligoda’s disappearance, Lasantha Wickrematunge’s murder, and the Thajudeen case, stating that the Opposition would support efforts to accelerate justice. He also called for broader reforms to reduce long judicial delays that discourage citizens from filing cases. He questioned why recent understandings with China, India and the United States had not been fully presented to Parliament, despite earlier commitments to transparency, and asked the Tourism Ministry to address foreign nationals on tourist visas operating businesses in coastal areas to the detriment of local SMEs. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka SJB AI summary Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka questioned the Government’s tourism performance, arguing that 2025 arrivals and revenue are below targets and below 2018 revenue levels, and called for stronger promotion aimed at higher-spending tourists. He criticized the use of tourism promotion levy funds, citing expenditure on Beira Lake restoration, and highlighted issues in tourist areas including waste and wastewater management, water supply, trained personnel shortages, and security concerns. He also raised justice-sector issues in Galle District, including inadequate lawyers’ chambers, difficulty obtaining case records, lack of computers and staff, delays in summons service, and broader case backlogs, especially in land cases. He proposed digitizing case records, equipping court registrars to implement electronic service, reconsidering school facilities for transferred judges’ children, strengthening professional standards for new lawyers, and establishing a court to serve Imaduwa and Habaraduwa. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Bhagya Sri Herath, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Bhagya Sri Herath said the debate on the Justice and National Integration Vote had been diverted by Opposition claims of national danger, which he characterized as politically motivated and linked to events planned for 21 November. He defended the Government’s commitment to judicial independence, equality before the law, and the rule of law, arguing that past perceptions of influence by wealth or power were being addressed. He identified systemic justice-sector problems including case delays, prison overcrowding, crime, and staffing shortages, and cited planned recruitments of 2,871 officers, including 1,315 for the justice sector and 1,086 for prisons. He also outlined measures to expand access to justice, including new and upgraded Magistrates’ Courts and District Courts in several locations. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Susantha Dodawatta, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Susantha Dodawatta supported the Justice sector Budget allocations, arguing that they address delays in the justice system through improved court infrastructure, increased staffing, digitization, and legal reforms. He cited allocations for court renovations, 2,871 new recruitments, audio-visual technology for courts, amendments to criminal and civil procedure, and recent laws including the Proceeds of Crime Act and the removal of presidential immunities. He also highlighted prison reforms, including biometric systems, modernization funding, community-based corrections, possible alternatives to remand incarceration, and Rs. 100 million for the Watareka open prison in Homagama. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 Hon. Sunil Watagala, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Sunil Watagala said the Trincomalee incident had been reported by the Police to the Magistrate’s Court under Section 106 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and argued that Parliament should not debate a matter now before court. He warned that discussion of related incidents, including one in Dehiwala involving a Buddha statue, was being used to create racial and religious tension, and requested the Chair to intervene and stop the debate. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK AI summary Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam urged the Government to fulfil commitments in its election policy statement, particularly regarding repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act. He requested that the committee report on the PTA be made public and shared with Members, and questioned the Government’s position on the Online Safety Act and its plan for accountability commitments made internationally. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK AI summary Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam argued that command responsibility for wartime actions lay with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Head of the Armed Forces and Maithripala Sirisena as Acting Defence Minister. He questioned why others were seeking to protect the State and suggested this was driven by concern over retaining the military-related vote base, rather than a commitment to accountability. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK AI summary Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam urged Hon. Dilith Jayaweera to act in the country’s interest and turned to accountability for the Easter Sunday attacks. He cited the Cardinal’s stated lack of confidence in a domestic mechanism and said recent presidential remarks about the State investigating itself supported calls for an international investigation. He also linked this to long-standing demands by his party, representing victim communities since 2009, for truth and accountability, questioning why the Government would protect the Rajapaksas. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara raised concern that the Government has no dedicated Minister for Buddhism and referred to constitutional provisions for protecting Buddhism. He alleged that Police removed a Buddha statue and assaulted a monk at a Trincomalee temple that he said had existed since 1951, and also cited the removal of a Buddha statue at the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council premises. He urged the Government to establish a proper programme to protect Buddhism, while stating that the rights of Tamil and Muslim communities should also be respected. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 Hon. Sunil Watagala, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Sunil Watagala responded to statements about the Trincomalee incident, stating that the Police had acted and reported matters to the Magistrate’s Court under Section 106 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, making it a judicial matter rather than one involving political interference. He rejected claims that the Government was acting on a religious or nationalist basis or disregarding Buddhism, and urged the Opposition not to frame the incident as a communal or religious issue. He also asserted that the Government had maintained judicial independence. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 Hon. Sunil Watagala, Attorney-at-Law - Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs JJB AI summary Hon. Sunil Watagala defended the independence of the judiciary under the current Government, arguing that the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary are now functioning separately under a proper system of checks and balances. He rejected Opposition allegations of political interference in judicial transfers, stating that such matters fall within the independent Judicial Service Commission under Article 111J and not the Government. He also criticised past administrations for alleged interference with the judiciary and proposed considering amendments to Standing Orders to prevent statements protected by parliamentary privilege that could amount to offences if made outside Parliament. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Namal Rajapaksa said tourism policy should support both higher arrivals and higher earnings, calling for airport expansion, operational e-gates, better use of the Tourism Development Levy for promotion and local services, and a regulatory approach to protect small tourism operators rather than demolitions. He raised concerns about alleged politicization of the judiciary, including suspensions, transfers and promotions of judges, and urged transparent criteria to preserve public confidence. He also called for prison reform, faster lab reports, court digitization, attention to foreign convicts and overcrowding, and equal enforcement of drug laws. Referring to a recent incident at a Trincomalee temple, he urged the Government to intervene and resolve the matter fairly without allowing it to become an ethnic issue. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF AI summary Raises concern over the conduct and powers of commissions, arguing that Parliament must speak on behalf of groups such as judges, doctors, and public servants who cannot directly defend their interests. Emphasizes that MPs should not remain silent if commissions act without limits or accountability. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law (Minister of Justice) JJB AI summary Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara said the Government is reviewing an increase to coroners’ allowances, while noting the post is a dignified public office rather than an income-generating role. He emphasized that the Judicial Service Commission is constitutionally independent under Article 111, that its decisions cannot be influenced by the Government, and that any grievances should be challenged through writ proceedings rather than unfounded public allegations. He also acknowledged prison overcrowding concerns, citing ongoing facility work including at Pallansena and the recruitment of 1,080 prison officers, while rejecting claims that magistrates act out of fear. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake raised concerns over tensions in Trincomalee following reports about the removal of a Buddha statue and said the matter remained unresolved despite ministerial comments. He urged faster deployment of workers already interviewed for jobs in Israel and called for increased payments to emergency inquest officers, citing the heavy travel burden in districts such as Badulla. He questioned recent disciplinary actions and appointments in the judiciary, asking for transparency in Supreme Court appointments and warning that inconsistent treatment of judicial officers undermines public confidence. He also highlighted severe prison overcrowding, urged rapid construction of additional accommodation through transparent tenders, called for fair resolution of the former Prisons Commissioner-General’s case, and requested full issuance of promised vehicle permits for public servants. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. U.P. Abeywickrama, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. U.P. Abeywickrama defended the Government’s estate worker wage proposal, stating that companies and the Treasury would each contribute Rs. 200 to support a Rs. 1,750 wage, with the allowance applicable according to days worked. He outlined the 2026 allocation for the Ministry of Justice and National Integration, totalling Rs. 58,500 million, and said capital spending would proceed prudently through due process following election-related delays. He highlighted court backlogs, weak infrastructure, and staffing shortages, citing issues in Pugoda and Gampaha courts, and noted measures including recruiting 50 State Counsel, providing research staff, appointing 13 committees, and implementing “Clean Sri Lanka” directions to streamline court records by 31 December. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →