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Protection to victims and witnesses from Aug.15, six months after Parliamentary approval
View(s):The provisions of the Assistance to and Protection to Victims and Witness Act will come into effect from August 15, six months after the Bill was approved by Parliament. Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksha who is authorised to fix the date on which the provisions of the Act will come into operation, has notified it will be effective from the middle of this month.
The move comes ahead of the September sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Legislation for the protection of victims and witnesses of crimes has been key demand both by the UN and Human Rights organisations.
Under the provisions of the Act, witnesses would receive fair treatment and privacy from judicial and investigatory authorities; protections against harassment, intimidation and coercion; and women and minors as witnesses, would be permitted to testify inside judges’ chambers rather than in open court.
There will also be safe houses set up for witnesses who testify in courts, while imprisonment of up to 12 years will be imposed on those who threaten or intimidate witnesses. Meanwhile, President Maithripala Sirisena is expected to attend the UNHRC’s September sessions in Geneva.