Contemporary Problems in Securing an Efficient and Fair Administration of Criminal Justice and Their Solutions (From Resource Material Series, Number 22, P 51-60, 1982 - See NCJ-94945)

• NCJ Number: 94950
• Author(s): M P Wijesinha
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United Nations

Annotation

The criminal justice system of Sri Lanka is examined, with a focus on crime patterns and the various criminal justice agencies.

Abstract

Grave crime increased by 101.2 percent in Sri Lanka between 1968 and 1980, while the population increased only by 15.6 percent. With the rapid growth in the tourist industry over the last decade, there has also been a rapid growth in both male and female prostitution and in homosexuality, with the attendant abuse of boys under the age of 16 years and even as young as 8. The illegal cultivation of ganja has also risen, and data indicate that white-collar offenses are on the increase as well. The overcrowding in prisons is about 511 percent because of the large number of persons on remand. Numerous steps must be taken to remedy these problems. Efficiency in investigations and prosecutions is needed, and speedier trials must be ensured. The form of government in a country, its criminal justice system, the personnel handling the various organs connected therewith, the efficiency of the techniques involved, the form of trial, the availability of counsel, the nature of penal institutions and correctional systems, the attitudes of the public, the literacy rate of the country, and the financial commitments of the government all bear responsibility for the content of justice. Four tables are included.