Inspector General of Police (Sri Lanka)
Inspector General of Police | |
---|---|
Sri Lanka Police Service | |
Abbreviation | IGP |
Member of | National Security Council |
Reports to | Ministry of Law and Order |
Nominator | President of Sri Lanka |
Appointer | Constitutional Council |
Constituting instrument | Police Ordinance, No. 16 of 1865 |
Precursor | Fiscal of Colombo |
Formation | 3 September 1866 |
First holder | William Robert Campbell (as Chief Superintendent of Police) |
Deputy | Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) |
Website | www |
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Police. They are the most senior police officer in Sri Lanka and oversees all police personnel throughout the country. The IGP reports to the Minister of Law and Order, when the Police Service is under the Ministry of Law and Order as it is currently.
History
[edit]The post of Inspector General of Police in Sri Lanka can be traced as far back as 1797 when the office of Fiscal was created and Fredric Barron Mylius was appointed as Fiscal of Colombo and entrusted with responsibility of policing the City of Colombo.[2] In 1833, the Head of the Police Service was called the Superintendent of Police, in 1836 the designation was changed to Chief Superintendent of Police.[3]
The official establishment of the Ceylon Police Force was on 3 September 1866 when William Robert Campbell (then the chief of police in the Indian province of Rathnageri) was appointed as Chief Superintendent of Police in Ceylon to be in charge of the Police units.[4][5] This post officially became the Chief of Police but was soon changed to that of the Inspector General of Police accordingly William Robert Campbell became the first Inspector General of Police.[6]
On 26 April 2019 President Maithripala Sirisena instructed Pujith Jayasundara to resign over failures that led to the deadly Easter bomb attacks. Due to a lack of response from Jayasundara, he was put on compulsory leave with Senior DIG C. D. Wickramaratne appointed as the acting Inspector General.[7]
After two extensions Wickramaratne was given a third extension by President Ranil Wickramasinghe on 9 October 2023, which was subsequently rejected by the Constitutional Council, with all members disagreeing with the president leaving the validity of the post and making the post vacant for the first time in the country's history.[8] On 29 November 2023 Deshabandu Tennakoon was appointed acting Inspector General by President Wickremesinghe.[9] He was formally confirmed as Inspector General on 26 February 2024, with the speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane acting unconstitutionally voting which the supreme courts of Sri Lanka suspending Deshabandu acting in post. [1]
Removal
[edit]The Inspector General of Police can be removed through an investigation by a 3-member committee if found guilty of specified offence(s) under the Removal of Officers (Procedure) Act No. 5 of 2002.[10]
Inspectors General of Police
[edit]See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Abayasinghe, Shiromi; Sriyantha, Rakshana (26 February 2024). "The New Inspector General of Police is Deshabandu Tennakoon". Dinamina (in Sinhala). Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Pippet, G. K. (1969). A History of the Ceylon Police: 1795-1870 (Volume 1). Times of Ceylon Company.
- ^ Perera, Rienzie (3 September 2006). "The 140th Police Day Anniversary". Sunday Island. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
- ^ Dep, A. C. (1969). A History of the Ceylon Police: 1866-1913 (Volume 2). Times of Ceylon Company.
- ^ Roth, Mitchell P. (2001). Historical Dictionary of Law Enforcement. Greenwood Press. p. 54. ISBN 0-313-30560-9.
- ^ Stead, Philip John (1977). Pioneers in Policing. Patterson Smith. pp. 252–253. ISBN 9780875858036.
- ^ "IGP sent on compulsory leave". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- ^ "Igp's validity in doubt among higher-ups following Constitutional Council's extension rejection - Breaking News | Daily Mirror".
- ^ "Deshabandu appointed Acting IGP". 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Pujith Jayasundara sent on compulsory leave". Colombo Gazette. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.