News
Govt may consider hangwomen if execution starts: State Minister
By APSARA RODRIGO
ECONOMYNEXT – The Government may consider hangwomen for executioner posts for the first time in its history if capital punishment is resumed in future instead of current hangmen who have no work at all, State Minister of Justice and Prison Affairs Anuradha Jayaratne said.
Sri Lanka hired two hangmen in July 2019 for executions in the country that has never seen penalty in 44 years. The hangmen, who are near their 40 years with a basic monthly salary of Rs. 24,250 ($80), have yet to be trained for execution because Sri Lanka has not seen any.
“I don’t see any reason why a woman can’t be in that position. But since it’s not in the practice, that question has not come to us. But, one day if we start this execution and it comes to the ministry, we would consider it as long as the woman is fit and even we do consider they are fit,” Jayaratne told reporters at a media briefing in Colombo on Thursday (14).
“They (women) are already equally treated in Sri Lanka. So, I personally believe they are fit for that.”
When the hangmen were recruited in 2019, the government specifically advertised for two men.
The Prisons Department began the recruitment process early in 2019 following the previous hangman quit in 2014, citing stress after seeing the gallows for the first time. Another, hired in 2018, never turned up for work.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena in 2019 announced an end to a death penalty moratorium in force since 1976 to execute four people who were convicted for drug offences. But that never happened.
Local and international rights groups, along with former colonial master Britain, Canada, the European Union and United Nations have raised concerns about Colombo’s restoration of capital punishment.
Jayaratne said the current hangmen have not been trained because “there are no humans to train with.
“But, if the time comes, they will be trained, but, at any given time we are in a position to carry out (executions). We don’t have an issue in carrying it out. It’s just a matter of giving the order,” he said.
“Right now we are working on a commitment that we will not go for any executions and especially if it needs to happen, we need to get the consent from the President. He has to give his order to carry out the execution. that has not happened for quite a lot of years.”
“And the president has given his commitment that an execution shouldn’t happen.”
Capital punishment still exists in Sri Lanka’s judiciary system, but it has always been changed to be arrested for lifetime in prison.
“If there is an execution order, we give a pardon in a number of stages. If its death penalty, we make it to 20 years after 20 years we change it to condemned,” Jayaratne said.
“After that, we have another special committee where they see all the behavior if we could rate them in a higher scale.”
News
Cabinet nod to increase the number of new automated passenger clearance gates at the Bandaranayake International Airport to 12
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 19.05.2025 to purchase four (04) automated passenger clearance gates for Bandaranayake International Airport.
In addition, it is expected to extend the automated passenger clearance gates facility so far given only to the Sri Lankans
parallel to the e – passport issuance system to be introduced in the year 2027 also to the foreigners who travel to and from this country.
Furthermore, considering also the number of air passengers rapidly increasing with the fast – forwarding business and tourism field, the appropriateness to increase the total automated passenger clearance gates up to twelve (12) in number has been recognized.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers, approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs to initiate the procurement and installation of 12
automated passenger clearance gates altogether with the already approved four (04) and another eight (08) automated passenger clearance gates adhering to the formal procurement procedure
Based on the observations submitted by the Task Force on Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing for Terrorism, approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 18.12.2024 to amend the Trust Ordinance No. 9 of 1917 including amendments proposed by the Financial
Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, clearance of the Attorney General has been granted for the Trust (Amendment) Draft Bill formulated by the Legal Draftsman.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Justice and National Integration
to publish the said draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby, submit the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Action was taken to provide a fuel relief for the fuel consumers during the months of April, May and June of 2026 to redress by minimizing the impact caused to the day today life of the citizens of this country as well as the entire economy due to the price hike of petroleum fuel in the global market resulting from the war situation in the Middle East.
Government mediation is essential for minimizing the impact on the day to today life of citizens in this country due to that war situation not being ended further. Therefore, it has been planned to redress on the sale price for Auto Diesel and Industrial Diesel for a period of 03 months by the Government to provide relief to the public as well as to maintain the prices at a bearable level to the consumers without escalating the fuel prices in this country compared to the escalation of fuel prices
in the international market.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to
allocate provisions subject to the monthly limitations respectively as rupees 15 billion for the month of October, rupees 13.5 billion for the month of November and rupees 12.15 billion for the month of December to provide the said relief
Cabinet nod to increase the number of new automated passenger clearance gates at the Bandaranayake International Airport to 12
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Implementing further relief programme to Public sffected by the Middle East conflict situation
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Appointment of a Committee for the Restitution of Sri Lankan Cultural Heritage Held Abroad
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