Hakeem presents order, Opposition up in arms; debate adjourned

An order under the code of criminal procedure (special) was today presented in parliament by Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem a short while ago. Accordingly with the cessation of emergency laws, under the general penal code, police could detain a suspect for 24 hours.

 

However with the new order, under special circumstances police could detain a suspect for 48 hours before producing the suspect in court.

 

Hakeem added that this new order is effective for two years and that police could not detain a suspect over 48 hours under any circumstance.

 

UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe who addressed parliament accused the new order as an illegal move by the government. UNP MP Wijeydasa Rajapaksa claimed that the said ordinance expired on May 31, 2011 and a renewal had to be done before that. He claimed that the government is trying to bring in the ordinance illegally through a gazette.

 

UPDATE: Parliament was suspended by the deputy speaker for 30 minutes a short while ago to discuss a solution to the issue after a heated debate arose over the amendment. After the lapse of 30 minutes the debate over the issue was adjourned for a latter day.