# Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms

The Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms is the cabinet ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for the implementation of policies, plans and programmes for the administration of the country's justice system, and thereby administers its courts and prisons. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe is the incumbent Minister of Justice as of 20 May 2022.

## History

The post was established in 1947 under the Soulbury Constitution as one of two fixed ministerial portfolios, the other being the Ministry of Finance. The post took over several functions of the previous colonial post of Legal Secretary. The Soulbury Constitution mandated that the appointee to the post of Minister of Justice should be from the Senate of Ceylon. This provision was removed following the abolishion of the Senate in October 1971. Since 1947, it has been tradition to appoint a lawyer to the post, with a few exceptions.

## Roles and responsibility

The ministry does not have oversight of policing, which comes under the Ministry of Defence.

### Departments

* Department of the Attorney General
* Department of the Legal Draftsman
* Department of Public Trustee
* Judicial and Reforms Unit
* Mediation Boards Commission
* Law Commission of Sri Lanka
* Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka
* Debt Conciliation Board
* National Authority for The Protection of Victims of Crimes and Witnesses
* Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court
* Office of the Secretary of Labour Tribunals
* Sri Lanka Judge’s Institute
* Sri Lanka Law College
* Superior Courts Complex Board of Management
* Training Schools for Youthful Offenders

### Appointments

It also has the authority to appoint individuals to the positions of:
* Justice of the Peace
* Justice of the Peace and Unofficial Magistrate
* Commissioner for Oaths
* Sudden Death Inquirers
* Sworn Translator

## List of ministers
### Parties

Sri Lanka Freedom Party  United National Party  Sri Lanka Muslim Congress  Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
| Name | Party | Tenure | Head(s) of Government |
| Lalitha Rajapaksa | United National Party | 26 September 1947 – 1953 | D. S. Senanayake Dudley Senanayake |
| E. B. Wikramanayake | United National Party | 1953 – 1956 | John Kotelawala |
| M. W. H. de Silva | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 1956 – June 1959 | S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike |
| Valentine S. Jayawickrema | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | June 1959 – 1960 | S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Wijeyananda Dahanayake |
| E. J. Cooray | United National Party | 23 March 1960 – 21 July 1960 | Dudley Senanayake |
| Sam Fernando | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 23 July 1960 – March 1965 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike |
| A. F. Wijemanne | United National Party | March 1965 – 1970 | Dudley Senanayake |
| Felix Dias Bandaranaike | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 1970 – 1976 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike |
| Ratnasiri Wickremanayake | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 1976 – 1977 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike |
| K. W. Devanayagam | United National Party | 23 July 1977 – 14 February 1980 | J. R. Jayewardene |
| Nissanka Wijeyeratne | United National Party | 14 February 1980 – 1988 | J. R. Jayewardene |
| Vincent Perera | United National Party | 1989 – 1990 | Ranasinghe Premadasa |
| Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed | United National Party | | Ranasinghe Premadasa |
| Harold Herath | United National Party | 1993 – 1994 | Dingiri Banda Wijetunga |
| G. L. Peiris | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 1994 – 2001 | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| W. J. M. Lokubandara | United National Party | 2001 – 2004 | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| Amarasiri Dodangoda | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 2004 – 30 May 2009 | Chandrika Kumaratunga Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Milinda Moragoda | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 30 May 2009 – 23 April 2010 | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Athauda Seneviratne | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 23 April 2010 – 22 November 2010 | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Rauff Hakeem | Sri Lanka Muslim Congress | 22 November 2010 – 28 December 2014 | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe | United National Party | 12 January 2015 - 23 August 2017 | Maithripala Sirisena |
| Thalatha Atukorale | United National Party | 25 August 2017 - 22 November 2019 | Maithripala Sirisena |
| Nimal Siripala de Silva | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 22 November 2019 - 12 August 2020 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Ali Sabry | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna | 12 August 2020 - 3 April 2022 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Office Vacant | | 3 April 2022 - 26 April 2022 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Ali Sabry | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna | 26 April 2022 - 9 May 2022 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe | Independent | 20 May 2022 - Present | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |