Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-02-14

Amending the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No.15 of 1979 pertaining to the increase of the minimum age of Criminal Responsibility

- In terms of the law prevailing in Sri Lanka, a child below the age of 08 years is not vested with the criminal responsibility. Yet, in the opinion of the psychiatrists and the experts in the relevant fields, this age limit is comparatively a tender age. As such, approval of the Cabinet has been granted to amend the Penal Code to increase this age limit up to 12 years and in case of a child above 12 years but below 14 years, to confer the discretion to the Magistrate to determine in a case where a child is accused of a crime whether such child has attained sufficient maturity to understand the gravity of the offence with which he has been charged.

As such, the proposal made by Hon. (Mrs.) Thalatha Atukorala, the Minister of Justice, to publish the Bill formulated to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No.15 of 1979 providing provision in such circumstances to direct such a child to be examined by a Government Medical Officer, to enable a Magistrate to obtain expert guidance to assist in forming the relevant opinion on a scientific basis, in the Government Gazette and subsequently, to present it in Parliament for approval, was approved by the Cabinet.