Committee to recommend reforms to the conduct of Inquests of Death
View(s):Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has appointed a Committee to recommend reforms to the conduct of Inquests into Deaths.
The committee headed by Prof. Ravindra Fernando, Senior Professor of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, University of Colombo, will consider the existing legal framework and practices pertaining to the conduct of inquests into deaths and recommend amendments to these legislation, procedures and practices.
The other members of the committee are Deputy Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda PC; Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya, Attorney-at-Law Ranjan Mendis representing the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Nandana Munasinghe, Colombo City Coroner Ashroff Rumi and representing the Justice Ministry Additional Secretary (Administration) Sunil Samaraweera, Consultant Dilhara Amerasinghe and Senior Assistant Secretary (Administration) A.K.D.D.D. Arandara. The ministry’s Assistant Secretary (Administration) Thilini Ratnasuriya is the Secretary to the committee.
The committee is to consider the existing legal framework and prevailing procedures and practices pertaining to the conduct of Inquests into Deaths and recommend amendments if any to be introduced to the legislation and existing procedures and practices being followed in the conduct of Inquests into Deaths and recommend the adoption of better procedures and practices including those relating to the conduct of inquests by Inquirers and post-mortem examinations by Forensic Medical Specialists and other Medical Officers; .
It will also consider and recommend amendments in relation to the conduct of inquests by Inquirers into Deaths and Magistrates and special Inquests into deaths resulting from or associated with mass-scale natural and man-made disasters and accidents.