Report by arbitrary detention working group submitted to UNHRC

Colombo (News1st): The Report of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on its visit to Sri Lanka was submitted in the 39th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The Working group has identified systematic problems within the criminal justice system which placed defendants at a high risk of arbitrary detention. The report says the bail system in Sri Lanka, which could alleviate the extensive report to pretrial detention by the authorities is problematic. It says the excessive length of trials that last for years or even decades are reportedly caused by lack of sufficient investigative capacity of the Police, insufficient resources in the office of Attorney General's Department and the courts and several other factors. The group has found out that while the number of arrests and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act appears to have fallen, the Act contains numerous severe restrictions on the right to a fair trial.