Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms
අධිකරණ අමාත්‍යාංශය
நீதி அமைச்சு
Department of the Attorney General
  • Debt Conciliation Board
  • Department of the Legal Draftsman
  • Department of Public Trustee
  • Judicial and Reforms Unit
  • Law Commission of Sri Lanka
  • Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka
  • Mediation Boards Commission
  • National Authority for The Protection of Victims of Crimes and Witnesses
  • Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court
  • Office of the Secretary of Labour Tribunals
  • Sri Lanka Judge’s Institute
  • Sri Lanka Law College
  • Superior Courts Complex Board of Management
  • Training Schools for Youthful Offenders
  • Websitemoj.gov.lk

    The Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms[2][a] is the cabinet ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for the implementation of policies, plans and programmes for the administration of the country's justice system, and thereby administers its courts and prisons. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe is the incumbent Minister of Justice as of 20 May 2022.[1]

    History

    The post was established in 1947 under the

    Legal Secretary. The Soulbury Constitution mandated that the appointee to the post of Minister of Justice should be from the Senate of Ceylon
    . This provision was removed following the abolishion of the Senate in October 1971. Since 1947, it has been tradition to appoint a lawyer to the post, with a few exceptions.

    Roles and responsibility

    The ministry does not have oversight of

    policing, which comes under the Ministry of Defence
    .

    Departments

    Appointments

    It also has the authority to appoint individuals to the positions of:

    • Justice of the Peace
    • Justice of the Peace and Unofficial Magistrate
    • Commissioner for Oaths
    • Sudden Death Inquirers
    • Sworn Translator

    List of ministers

    Parties

      Sri Lanka Freedom Party   United National Party   Sri Lanka Muslim Congress   Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna


    Name Portrait Party Tenure Head(s) of Government
    Lalitha Rajapaksa
    United National Party 26 September 1947 – 1953 D. S. Senanayake
    Dudley Senanayake
    E. B. Wikramanayake United National Party 1953 – 1956 John Kotelawala
    M. W. H. de Silva Sri Lanka Freedom Party 1956 – June 1959 S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
    Valentine S. Jayawickrema Sri Lanka Freedom Party June 1959 – 1960 S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
    Wijeyananda Dahanayake
    E. J. Cooray United National Party 23 March 1960 – 21 July 1960 Dudley Senanayake
    Sam Fernando Sri Lanka Freedom Party 23 July 1960 – March 1965 Sirimavo Bandaranaike
    A. F. Wijemanne United National Party March 1965 – 1970 Dudley Senanayake
    Felix Dias Bandaranaike Sri Lanka Freedom Party 1970 – 1976 Sirimavo Bandaranaike
    Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Sri Lanka Freedom Party 1976 – 1977
    K. W. Devanayagam United National Party 23 July 1977 – 14 February 1980 J. R. Jayewardene
    Nissanka Wijeyeratne Nissanka Wijeyeratne United National Party 14 February 1980 – 1988
    Vincent Perera United National Party 1989 – 1990 Ranasinghe Premadasa
    Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed United National Party
    Harold Herath United National Party 1993 – 1994 Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
    G. L. Peiris G. L. Peiris Sri Lanka Freedom Party 1994 – 2001 Chandrika Kumaratunga
    W. J. M. Lokubandara W. J. M. Lokubandara United National Party 2001 – 2004
    Amarasiri Dodangoda Sri Lanka Freedom Party 2004 – 30 May 2009 Chandrika Kumaratunga
    Mahinda Rajapaksa
    Milinda Moragoda Sri Lanka Freedom Party 30 May 2009 – 23 April 2010 Mahinda Rajapaksa
    Athauda Seneviratne Sri Lanka Freedom Party 23 April 2010 – 22 November 2010
    Rauff Hakeem Sri Lanka Muslim Congress 22 November 2010 – 28 December 2014
    Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe United National Party 12 January 2015 - 23 August 2017 Maithripala Sirisena
    Thalatha Atukorale United National Party 25 August 2017 - 22 November 2019
    Nimal Siripala de Silva Nimal Siripala de Silva Sri Lanka Freedom Party 22 November 2019 - 12 August 2020 Gotabaya Rajapaksa
    Ali Sabry Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna 12 August 2020 - 3 April 2022 Gotabaya Rajapaksa
    Office Vacant 3 April 2022 - 26 April 2022 Gotabaya Rajapaksa
    Ali Sabry Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna 26 April 2022 - 9 May 2022 Gotabaya Rajapaksa
    Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe Independent 20 May 2022 - Present Gotabaya Rajapaksa

    See also

    Notes

    1. ^ (Sinhala: අධිකරණ, බන්ධනාගාර කටයුතු හා ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථා ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ අමාත්‍යාංශය; Tamil: நீதி, சிறைச்சாலை நடவடிக்கைகள் மற்றும் அரசியலமைப்பு மறுசீரமைப்பு அமைச்சு)

    References

    1. ^ a b "LIST OF CABINET MINISTERS". cabinetoffice.gov.lk. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
    2. ^ "Extra Gazette No. 2281/41 of 27.05.2022 (Duties and Functions)" (PDF). documents.gov.lk. Retrieved 2022-06-10.

    External links