INTRODUCTION The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka was established by Act No. 26 of 1996 as an independent, financially viable institution to promote and protect human rights of the people of Sri Lanka. The act establishing the Commission contains the Paris Principles relating to the status of national human rights institutions. The functions of the Commission as laid down in section 10 include among other, the inquiry into complaints of violations or imminent violations of the Fundamental rights provisions contained in Chapter II of the Constitution. It also has certain other functions such as to advise the government to formulate legislation and administrative directions in furtherance of promotion and protection of human rights and on the need to subscribe or accede to treaties and other international laws relating to human rights. In order to discharge its functions the Commission is vested with a wide range of powers and these are laid down in Section II of the Act. They include the power to intervene in any proceeding relating to the infringement or imminent infringement of fundamental rights pending before any court with the permission of such court, to monitor the welfare of persons detained either by a judicial order or otherwise by regular inspection of such places of detention and also make any recommendations If necessary to improve their conditions of detention. As one of the functions of the Commission is to promote awareness of and provide education in relation to human rights it has the power to undertake research and conduct programmes, seminars and work. Further, Section 11 (h) states “do all such other things as are necessary or conducive to the discharge of its functions” thus giving the Commission wide powers in fulfilling its functions. The Commission has a Chairman and four Commissioners who are entrusted with the mandate to carry out the functions as laid down in the Act establishing the Commission. In order to perform its functions more effectively the Commission has 10 regional offices in various parts of the Island. Five of such regional offices function in the Northern and Eastern provinces. viii