In a bold move signaling a significant power shift in Sri Lanka’s legal system, the Cabinet has approved the formation of an expert committee to explore the establishment of a government prosecutor’s office, a step seen as reducing the sweeping powers currently held by the Attorney General.
The proposal, submitted by the Minister of Justice and National Integration, aims to separate prosecutorial duties from the Attorney General’s Department for the first time in the country’s legal history.
The newly appointed committee will be tasked with drafting legal provisions necessary to set up this independent prosecutorial body.
Supreme Court Justice and President’s Counsel Yasantha Kodagoda has been named Chairman of the committee, lending the initiative both legal credibility and institutional weight.
If implemented, this reform could reshape how justice is administered in Sri Lanka ushering in a new era of checks, accountability, and prosecutorial independence.
