• Prez to appoint stakeholder committee to reform law

A Fundamental Rights (FR) petition was filed yesterday (8) in the Supreme Court (SC), seeking an order directing the prison authorities to ensure that the Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera — who is currently serving a prison sentence of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for contempt of court— appears in his monastic robes when being produced before courts for other cases. The petition was filed by retired Air Force officer, Shantha Jayathilaka. 

The Prisons Commissioner General (CG), the Justice Ministry Secretary, and the Attorney General (AG) have been named as respondents in the petition.

A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and a group of Buddhist monks representing the Mahanayakas (Chief Prelates) of the three Buddhist Nikayas (Sects), was held yesterday (8). The meeting was held at 1 p.m. at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss the issues outlined in the letter that the Chief Prelates had sent on Wednesday (7) to the Prisons CG regarding the decision to produce Gnanasara Thera before court in prison attire.

In a letter addressed to the Prisons CG, the Chief Prelates expressed their displeasure over the decision to produce Gnanasara Thera before court in prison attire. The Chief Prelates stated that requiring the monk to appear before court in prison clothes was improper, emphasising that the authority to disrobe a Buddhist monk solely rests with the relevant Sangha Sabha.

 They further requested that Gnanasara Thera be permitted to appear before court wearing his monastic robes. President Dissanayake said that a committee would be appointed to present legal reforms, new laws, orders and regulations with regard to the procedure of how monks should be when within prisons and when being taken out of prison. The committee will comprise the AG, the Ministries of Justice, Public Administration, and Buddhist Affairs, and Prisons Department officers and the Prisons CG. The aspects impacting monks would be discussed with the Buddhist clergy and amended accordingly, he added. He emphasised that he is not prepared to issue orders with regard to individuals on a case by case basis.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Bhikkhu Association in Europe has submitted a letter to the Prisons CG requesting legal provisions to allow incarcerated Buddhist monks to wear their monastic robes, their official ecclesiastical attire, instead of lay clothing when they are taken outside prison for any purpose. The special letter addressed to the Prisons CG bears the signatures of the Chief Secretary of the Sri Lankan Bhikkhu Association in Europe and the Chief Sanghanayaka of Cyprus, Ven. Morawaka Soratha Thera, and its President and Chief Adhikarana Sanghanayaka of Germany, Ven. Rathmale Punnaratana Thera. 

The Prisons Department has noted that per the law, anyone convicted for over three years or handed a sentence of RI, has to wear the prison uniform.