Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2020-06-10

Utilizing video conferencing systems for consideration of a bail applications and for remand extensions in respect of the prison inmates

- There are about 15,000 remand prisoners in 23 prisons across the country. About 5,400 of them have to be produced before courts daily. The Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Legal reforms has designed a program for the court to consider their bail applications while in prison, using video conferencing systems, taking into consideration the prevailing situation in the country as well as the recent incidents of several attacks on buses on which prison inmates were on board and being transported resulting in the death of both prison inmates and prison officers. As the first phase of the program, the Cabinet approval was granted to implement the proposed program in 23 court houses and 12 locations in 4 prisons in the Colombo District.