Category: Other
Government Expedites House Arrest Legislation to Address Prison Overcrowding
At its meeting on August 3, 2026, the Cabinet approved a proposal submitted by the Minister of Justice and National Integration to instruct the Legal Draftsman to promptly finalize a draft bill introducing house arrest as an alternative to remand and imprisonment. The initiative follows a comprehensive review of earlier drafts—initially sanctioned under a June […]
Cabinet Approves Gazetting and Submission to Parliament of Key Judicial Reform Bills
Following initial Cabinet approval on July 27, 2026, approval has been granted to publish the Twenty-second Constitutional Amendment Bill and the Judiciary (Amendment) Bill in the Government Gazette and subsequently submit them to Parliament. Drafted by the Legal Draftsman and granted constitutional clearance by the Attorney General, the proposed legislation submitted by the Minister of […]
US Effective Tariff Rate Falls to 7.4% on Latest Tariffs and Changing Trade Flows: Fitch Ratings
The U.S. effective tariff rate (ETR) has declined to 7.4% from 9.4% after the U.S. replaced the temporary Section 122 surcharge with new Section 301 tariffs on imports from 60 economies, including the EU. The revised estimate also reflects Fitch Ratings’ use of annualized January-May 2026 trade flows instead of the 2024 import data used […]
BASL Unanimously Passes Resolution Against Proposed Judges’ Retirement Age Amendment
A Special General Meeting of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) today unanimously passed a resolution strongly opposing proposed constitutional and statutory amendments to increase the retirement age of judges. The resolution follows the Cabinet of Ministers’ conditional approval on July 27, 2026, of a proposal submitted by the Minister of Justice and National […]
Cabinet Approves Move to Raise Judges’ Retirement Age as Part of Judicial Reform Package
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to raise the statutory retirement age of judges, as part of a broader package of draft amendments to the Constitution and the Judicature Act No. 2 of 1978. The decision was made at the Cabinet meeting held on July 27, 2026, and remains subject to final approval […]
US military preventive medicine expertise to strengthen Sri Lanka’s dengue prevention capabilities
As Sri Lanka responds to a significant nationwide dengue outbreak, the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka has launched a Public Health Pest Control and Vector-Borne Disease Response program in partnership with the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health and National Dengue Control Unit to strengthen the country’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to dengue. Funded through the […]
Commercial Bank MD/CEO Sanath Manatunge appointed Chairman of EFC
Sanath Manatunge, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Bank of Ceylon has been appointed Chairman of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC), one of the country’s most influential apex business bodies representing the interests of employers across a wide spectrum of industries. The Bank said Mr Manatunge’s appointment is a significant recognition of his […]
Government Moves to Establish a Fair and Transparent Presidential Pardon System
The Ministry of Justice and National Integration has received a committee report recommending a more systematic, fair and transparent mechanism for granting presidential pardons to sentenced prison inmates, marking a key step in the government’s wider prison reform agenda. The report was formally handed over on Thursday (July 10) by retired Supreme Court Judge S. […]
Negombo Prison Temporarily Closed Following Emergency; Mahamodara and Old Bogambara Re-opened
Following an emergency incident on July 5 and 6, 2026, that left Negombo Prison severely damaged, the Ministry of Justice and National Integration has declared the site a crime scene and ordered its temporary closure. To facilitate ongoing investigations and subsequent renovations, inmates have been transferred to other facilities. To manage the resulting population shift […]
We will help countries build greater energy, food, trade & economic resilience: Joint Statement by IEA, IMF, WB Group & WTO
The Heads of the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Group (WBG), and World Trade Organization (WTO) met on July 7 as part of the high-level coordination group established in April to maximize their institutions’ response to the energy, trade, and economic impact of the war in the Middle East. Following […]
VIDEO: Are Sri Lankans now richer than Indians? Here’s what the World Bank says
India is one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies. So why is it still a lower-middle-income country while Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the Philippines have moved up? In this video, we explain how the World Bank classifies countries, why per capita income matters more than the size of the economy, and what India needs to […]
UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture Concludes Second Visit to Sri Lanka
The United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) concluded its second visit to Sri Lanka on 24 June 2026. The visit took place from 15 to 24 June 2026. During the visit, the four-member delegation of the SPT met the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, and the Minister of […]