Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-01-20

Amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code Act, No.15 of 1979

- The right of access to a lawyer for any person suspected of having committed an offense is recognized as a basic element of a fair trial. Therefore, immediately after recording the first statement of the person arrested by the police, he should be given the opportunity of consulting an Attorney-at-Law on his or her choice. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Wijayadasa Rajapakse, the Minister of Justice, to amend the Criminal Procedure Code Act, to make necessary provisions so as to recognize the right possessed by a person arrested to obtain advice from an Attorney-at-Law at his choice and to provide the service of an Attorney-at-Law of the Legal Aid Commission in case the person arrested pleads that he is unable to retain an Attorney-at-Law, was approved by the Cabinet.