Sri Lanka's Cabinet has approved an expedited process to finalize legislation allowing home detention as an alternative to imprisonment for eligible individuals, addressing ongoing concerns about overcrowding in correctional facilities.
The Cabinet of Ministers has given approval to accelerate the drafting of a new law that would permit home detention in place of traditional imprisonment for suitable cases, representing part of a broader strategy to manage the strain on the country's prison system.
According to Cabinet decisions released this week, policy authorization for such measures had been granted previously, creating the legal framework for placing eligible suspects and convicted persons under home detention rather than remand or incarceration where circumstances permit. The Legal Draftsman's office subsequently prepared an initial draft of the proposed legislation.
Following a Cabinet review conducted after policy approval was granted in June 2025, officials identified additional provisions that should be incorporated into the bill. The Cabinet has now directed the Justice Minister to instruct the Legal Draftsman to complete the legislation on an accelerated timeline, ensuring these supplementary provisions are included in the final draft.
The development reflects ongoing government efforts to address prison overcrowding through alternative detention mechanisms. While specific details regarding which categories of offenders would be eligible for home detention have not been disclosed, the framework aims to provide judicial discretion in determining appropriate cases for such arrangements.
