Two new laws on crimes on the cards

By Yohan Perera  and ajith siriwardana 

Change of laws pertaining to crimes are on the cards with the Legislative Standing Committee which is duty bound to consider the Bills/Proposed Statutes referred to it by Parliament approving the decriminalization of homosexuality and while the Code of Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill which seeks to introduce a system of plea of guilty agreement before a person is pleaded guilty on any offense under the prevention of crimes ordinance was tabled in the House yesterday.  

As per the minutes of the legislative standing committee which was tabled in the House the penal code amendment where voluntarily carnal intercourse against the nature with an animal is considered as an unusual offense which has been proposed by MP Premnath Dollawatte during the recent past.  

The Code of Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill provides provisions for an accused who is charged with a crime under chapter 22 of prevention of crimes ordinance to sign a plea of guilty agreement with the prosecutor before he or she is convicted by the courts.  

As per the plea agreement the accused enters into agreement and pleads guilty freely, voluntarily, without threat, force, and intimidation without promise or benefit of any kind. The accused under the agreement pleads guilty to the offense under the given law.   

However judiciary can prosecute an accused even if he or she gets into a plead guilty agreement as per the legislation. Judiciary is expected to consider the agrement when delivering its verdict.