The Sri Lanka Police has issued a circular outlining procedures to be followed when summoning individuals to police stations for statements, following a fundamental rights petition filed by Vidura Ralapanawa.
Ralapanawa had filed the petition after being summoned by police over a social media post he had published, where he was not informed of any charges or reasons for the summons, which he alleged violated his fundamental rights.
Attorney Saliya Pieris, who appeared on behalf of the petitioner, noted that the circular was issued as a result of the Supreme Court fundamental rights application SC(FR) 266/2023, in which Ralapanawa challenged the Criminal Investigation Department for summoning him regarding a Facebook post about the Ceylon Electricity Board.
Saliya Pieris said that the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya’s circular now directs police to provide adequate information when summoning suspects or witnesses and reminds officers that, under the Criminal Procedure Code, police may only act when an offence has been disclosed.
The new guidelines specify the following:
- Suspects must be informed of the specific charges or allegations when being summoned.
- Witnesses must be told the purpose of their statement and its relevance to an ongoing investigation.
- Individuals summoned for reasons other than as suspects or witnesses must also be given sufficient context for the request.
- If a summons is issued via telephone, the Officer in Charge must ensure the above procedures are followed.
- Officers must exercise discretion when sharing investigation-related information with parties other than complainants, victims, or witnesses, especially if disclosure could impact the case. (Newswire)
