Category: Legal
Ranjan Ramanayake granted conditional presidential pardon
President Ranil Wickremesinghe today (26) signed the document granting conditional presidential pardon to former Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake, who is currently serving a four year sentence on charges of contempt of court. The President has granted pardon on the condition that Ramanayake should not make any statement critical or derogatory of the entire judiciary in future. […]
Amendment to Penal Code protecting LGBTQ+ rights of Sri Lankans handed over to President
A bill to amend the Penal Code with the aim of protecting the rights of the LGBTQ+ communities in Sri Lanka was handed over to President Ranil Wickremesinghe today (24) by Member of Parliament and lawyer Premanath C. Dolawatta. This bill to amend the Penal Code was submitted to the Parliament yesterday (23) by MP […]
Sri Lanka to introduce new law on contempt of court
As the offense of contempt of court has not been defined in Sri Lanka, there is no clear and uniform procedure for hearing and adjudicating such cases. As a result, it is difficult to identify the limits of interference in the justice process and the limits on the right to freedom of expression. It seems […]
People’s aspirations for system change in governance incorporated in SJB’s 21 A: Eran
SJB Parliamentarian Eran Wickramaratne said that if the government has a genuine need to bring in a system change as demanded by the people across the country it is high time for the government, to bring in the amendment proposed by the SJB to parliament with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers. If the […]
Ceylon Chamber call for few more edits to the 21st amendment to the constitution of Sri Lanka
In a letter to the Minister of Justice, Constitutional Affairs and Prison Reform the joint Chambers of Commerce has called for a further strengthening of the 21st amendment through a few more amendments necessitated by past learnings and current context to meet the aspirations of the people, including the business community, who are seeking a […]
Sri Lanka imposes curfew under Section 16 of Public Security Ordinance
Curfew has been imposed on the entire country from 7.00 pm Monday (09) to 7.00 am Tuesday (10) in accordance with the provisions of section 16 of the Public Security Ordinance.Issuing a statement the President’s office said “No person is allowed to be on any public road, railway, public park, public recreation ground or other […]
Rambukkana incident: BASL calls for an independent investigation
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) calls for an independent investigation of the Rambukkana incident and says the Government must ensure that the police and armed forces act with utmost restraint in the light of the genuine grievances of protesters. “The BASL is shocked and saddened at the loss of life in the incident […]
BASL calls upon Govt to desist from taking any steps to disrupt peaceful protests
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) calls upon the Government to desist from taking any steps whatsoever to disrupt what is a legitimate exercise of the freedom of dissent of the people. Issuing a statement, the association said that they received credible information from its members of a number of police trucks being moved […]
Data Protection Bill should not be passed until serious concerns are addressed: Transparency International
Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) calls on Members of Parliament to not rush through enacting the law until concerns are addressed. On the 9th of March 2022, the Personal Data Protection Bill is scheduled for the second reading in Parliament. This Bill aims to regulate the processing of personal data by identifying and strengthening the […]
European Union, UNDP & UNICEF join hands to launch Justice Reform Programme in Sri Lanka
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) with funding from the European Union, along with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Sri Lanka have come together to launch the Justice Reform (JURE) Programme. This new flagship initiative, funded by the EU for EUR 18 million (approx. LKR 4 billion) […]
Gravely concerned about looming economic crisis in Sri Lanka: Bar Association
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) calls upon the government to seek the assistance of acknowledged independent and non-partisan experts both domestically and internationally and also of multilateral institutions that have a proven record of providing resources financially as well as in the form of technical expertise that will enable sustainable solutions to the […]
‘s Supreme Court Complex with Rs. 7.68bn grant
The Government of China has allocated 7.68 billion rupees as a grant to completely renovate the Supreme Court complex where the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal are currently located. The project was implemented under the patronage of Justice Minister Ali Sabri today. The agreement was signed between the Secretary to the Ministry of […]