Sri Lanka ready to implement death sentence: minister

The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday said that it will implement the death sentence if the island's high crime rate continues.

Despite capital punishment being legal in Sri Lanka, no executions have been carried out in the island nation since 1976 despite death sentences being handed down continuously by the High and Supreme Courts for murder and drug trafficking convictions.

Sri Lanka's newly appointed Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakse told reporters that his government urged the public to avoid criminal activities and stated that it was "disappointing" that crimes had been happening even by those governing the country previously.

"The Executive Presidency was used by the former government to violate the law defend those involved in large scale corruption. We will implement the law to the book," the minister said.

He warned that if the advice of the government is not taken seriously and if the island's crime rate does not reduce, the government will bring back the hangman and implement the death sentence to create a just and free society for all.

Several attempts have been made by the country's previous governments to introduce the hangman but to no avail due to large scale protests breaking out in the country.

Currently all death sentences handed out by the island's courts are commuted in life imprisonment.