By Stanley Samarasinghe
Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva told The Nation that the recently released P.P. Jamis had to spend 50 years of his life at the Angoda Mental Hospital due to the lack of proper coordination between the Justice Ministry, Police and prison.

“The Police is responsible for not following up cases once a person was remanded. If that had been done, this tragedy could have been prevented,” the Chief Justice said.

“In future all states agencies should act with proper coordination, and follow up the procedure they must take on behalf of the suspects who are in remand,” he added.

The Chief Justice further said that magistrates are in a position to visit jails and hospitals if the need arises. It was due to the lack of proper coordination on their part as well that Jamis had to suffer, he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the Legal Aid Commission is to file action shortly on behalf of Jamis, who was in remand for 50 years without facing any charges.

Legal Aid Commission Chairman S. S. Wijeratna told The Nation that they were seeking to enhance compensation through their application, since they felt that the Rs. 500,000 recommended was very inadequate to compensate for the suffering that Jamis underwent for half a century due to the negligence of state agencies.

Jamis, who was remanded in 1958 on suspicion over the murder of his father, spend most of his life during the last 50 years at the Angoda Mental Hospital until he was ‘discovered’ recently.

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