October 15, Colombo (LNW): Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara has announced that a special committee reviewing prison regulations has recommended allowing Buddhist monks serving prison sentences to retain their monastic robes when taken outside correctional facilities.
Speaking on the matter on October 14, the Minister explained that the proposed approach would recognise a monk’s right to wear religious attire, unless the relevant Buddhist Chapter determines otherwise.
The recommendation forms part of a broader effort to revise the rules governing the treatment of Buddhist clergy in custody. Under the proposed changes to Standing Order 356, the Commissioner General of Prisons would be required to make a decision within 10 days on whether a monk entering prison should be permitted to retain his robes. The process would involve consultation with the Department of Buddhist Affairs.
Nanayakkara also disclosed that the Acting Commissioner General of Prisons had been instructed to revise the existing standing orders under the Prisons Ordinance in accordance with the committee’s recommendations.
The special committee was established to examine and modernise the rules, regulations and administrative procedures governing the country’s prison system. Its interim report was handed over on October 14 to Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
The proposals could pave the way for clearer guidelines on religious attire within the prison system, while establishing a formal process for determining how such matters should be handled. However, the recommendations remain part of the review process, with the proposed amendments intended to guide the future administration of prison regulations.
