Sri Lanka To Allow Victims And Witnesses To Testify From Overseas
Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has approved amending the Assistance and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act No. 04 of 2015 to enable victims and witnesses to testify without being present in Sri Lankan courts.
Since the Act was brought into operation on May 16, 2016 there had been many requests to allow witnesses to give evidence from overseas.
As such, the act will be amended enabling victims and witnesses to give evidence from outside the country through audio visual media, without being present at the courts.
The government noted that evidence may be given at a Sri Lankan Diplomatic Mission in the respective country and provisions should be enacted to protect the freedom of witnesses and prevent any influence.
The proposal in this regard was made by the Minister of Justice Wijayadasa Rajapaksa.