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Bill on human rights in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Tuesday introduced a draft bill for the “Assistance and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses” in Parliament amid growing concerns over human rights violations and lack of effective mechanisms to remedy the situation.

The bill has been pending for a long time. Enactment of legislation for protection of victims of crime and witnesses was one of the key recommendations made by the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) headed by Justice P.N. Bhagwati.

The IIGEP wound up its mission in March on the grounds that the government was not heeding to its suggestions. It was constituted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to oversee the functioning of the Commission of Inquiry to investigate 14 specific cases of human rights violations.

Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, introducing the bill, said the basic objective was to conform human rights laws with international norms, standards and best practices.

The bill enlists victims’ and witnesses’ rights and entitlements. These include the rights to apply and receive compensation for harm suffered as a result of being a victim of crime; the right to be informed of proceedings and events in the criminal justice process and of legal rights and remedies and of available services.

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