A special committee appointed to review prison regulations has recommended amendments that would allow incarcerated Buddhist monks to wear their robes when required to leave prison premises, as part of broader reforms being proposed under Sri Lanka’s Prisons Ordinance.
The recommendations were included in an interim report handed over to Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday.
Commenting on the proposed amendments, Minister of Justice and National Integration, Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara, said the committee had recommended revising Prison Regulation 356 by introducing a new provision, 356A, while also proposing an interim order to amend Departmental Order 550.
According to the Minister, the proposed changes provide a ten-day period for the Commissioner General of Prisons to consult the Department of Buddhist Affairs and take appropriate action regarding the removal of robes when a Buddhist monk is admitted to prison as an inmate.
He added that similar provisions could be adapted and applied to members of clergy from other religions if they are imprisoned.
The Minister further explained that an additional amendment has been proposed to Departmental Order 550. Under the recommendation, Buddhist monks who are required to leave prison premises for any official purpose would be granted full permission to wear their robes while outside the prison.
According to the proposal, that right would continue unless the monk’s respective chapter or Nikaya formally notifies authorities that such permission should not be granted.
Nanayakkara said these two recommendations form the core of the proposed amendments.
He added that the interim committee report and a related letter have already been forwarded to the Acting Commissioner General of Prisons, together with instructions to amend the existing prison regulations in accordance with the committee’s recommendations.
The special committee was appointed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake following discussions held on October 8 with representatives of the Maha Sangha from the three Buddhist Nikayas.
The committee was tasked with reviewing existing rules, regulations and standing orders under the Prisons Ordinance and submitting recommendations within two weeks.
The report, which includes revised proposals relating to the imprisonment and treatment of Buddhist monks and other religious clergy, was formally handed over by Committee Chairman Prince Senadheera, Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.