The Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms 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.
History The post was established in 1947 under the Soulbury Constitution as one of two fixed ministerial portfolios, the other being the Ministry of Finance. The post took over several functions of the previous colonial post of 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 Department of the Attorney General Department of the Legal Draftsman Department of Public Trustee Judicial and Reforms Unit Mediation Boards Commission Law Commission of Sri Lanka Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka Debt Conciliation Board 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
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
Name Portrait Party Tenure Head(s) of Government Lalitha Rajapaksa United National Party 26 September 1947 – 1953 D. S. SenanayakeDudley 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. BandaranaikeWijeyananda 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 Sri Lanka Freedom Party 1976 – 1977 K. W. Devanayagam United National Party 23 July 1977 – 14 February 1980 J. R. Jayewardene 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 Sri Lanka Freedom Party 1994 – 2001 Chandrika Kumaratunga W. J. M. Lokubandara United National Party 2001 – 2004 Amarasiri Dodangoda Sri Lanka Freedom Party 2004 – 30 May 2009 Chandrika KumaratungaMahinda 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 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 Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms
Notes
References
External links Government of Sri Lanka Ministry of Justice