Apr 04, Colombo: The Ministry of Justice says certain groups are trying to spread a wrong opinion in the society regarding the call for applications to fill the vacancies of coroners.

The Ministry of Justice has issued a statement to clarify the correct situation in this regard. It states that there is no truth in the propaganda that there is a plan to create a new post of coroner (Muslim) and that the Ministry of Justice has not taken any decision in this regard.

The present Minister of Justice has not issued any policy decision or any other order regarding the appointment of coroners to vacant posts and what has taken place is only the normal procedure of filling the vacancies by calling for applications under the normal procedure of filling vacancies in the existing posts.

In order to make the role of coroners more efficient in 2018, the then Minister of Justice has identified various issues as per the recommendation of the expert committee appointed under an Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Justice.

Among the recommendations of the committee appointed in 2018 was the finding that problems will arise due to the fact that the coroners are on duty only during office hours as the burial of Muslims should be done within 24 hours.

Accordingly, the committee appointed in 2018 had suggested that it would be appropriate to appoint coroners representing multi-ethnic communities in 88 multi-ethnic regional jurisdictions.

Accordingly, the present Minister of Justice has not taken steps to create any vacancies or to issue an order to fill the vacancies in the existing posts, except to fill the vacancies as per the normal procedure prevailing so far.