Producing inmates at courts suspended

Producing prison inmates in courts has been temporarily suspended and their legal proceedings would be carried out through video technology, the Prisons Department said.

Prisons Spokesman Chandana Ekanayaka said granting of bail or postponing of court dates of inmates would be done through video technology while the accused remains in prison.

He said an attorney-at-law will also appear in this process. “The prisons officials will produce an inmate in a court if a Judge informed that the accused needed to be produced in the court,” he said.

He said this decision was taken as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of COVID-19.

It was reported that there are about 15,000 remanded prisoners in 23 prisons across the country. About 5,400 of them have to be produced in courts on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, the spokesman said that transfer of inmates between prisons has also suspended until further notice.