News
Home visits to be permitted to well behaved prisoners, says Ali Sabry
Justice Minister Ali Sabry PC ;ast week announced that a program to allow prisoners with a record of good behaviour to make home visits under strict conditions.
“Prisoners need to prove their good behaviour to be qualified for this privilege,” the Minister said after visiting the Welikada prison on Thursday to look into the issues and demands of a group of death row inmates engaged in a roof top protest for several days.
Sabry said he hoped to consult the Chief Justice in order to devise a mechanism to expedite cases as well.
He had a cordial discussion with the fasting prisoners and was briefed on the current problems they faced.
Matters raised included delays in filing appeals, reduction of sentences for good behavior, proper implementation of the rehabilitation system, the establishment of a common criterion for all prisoners in granting pardons, and setting up a system to inquire into the well-being of prisoners and their families.
The minister who listened to the problems of the prisoners stated that there are people who continue to make mistakes as well as people who make mistakes once in a lifetime; an opportunity should be provided to them to rectify those mistakes.
Sabry said his attention has been drawn to the need for a system to reduce prison terms of those who have been jailed for a long time if their conduct was good. He also assured that he, on the instructions of the president, will take necessary action to expedite the implementation of solutions to existing problems.
He said that steps will be taken from the date of his visit to make the necessary arrangements for this and that prisoners should abandon their fast until such arrangements are made.
Secretary to the State Ministry of Prison Management and Prison Rehabilitation, Retired Major General VR Silva, Commissioner General of Prisons, Thushara Upuldeniya, and a group of prison officials were associated with the minister during his visit.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.
The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.
Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.
The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.
The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.
But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.
The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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M/s South Asian Technologies awarded contract to supply vehicle number plates
A new act for National Lotteries Board to be introduced
Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 to be amended
Mrs. P. K. L. S. Panduwawala appointed to the post of Surveyor General
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