Sri Lanka's Protection of State from Terrorism Bill requires constitutional amendments

Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne informed Parliament that the Supreme Court has identified constitutional defects in the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill following a challenge lodged under Article 121(1) of the Constitution.

The court's determination enables the Bill to advance through Parliament by simple majority vote, provided that four specific amendments are incorporated during the committee stage of legislative proceedings. These amendments are designed to bring the contentious provisions into compliance with constitutional requirements.

The Bill had been subject to judicial scrutiny before its return to the legislative chamber, with petitioners arguing that certain clauses conflicted with fundamental constitutional protections. The Supreme Court's conditional approval signals that while substantial elements of the proposed legislation remain intact, modifications to particular provisions are necessary to withstand constitutional scrutiny.

The announcement sets the stage for further parliamentary debate on the amendments, with lawmakers expected to address the court's concerns during the committee stage before the Bill proceeds to final passage. The government and opposition parties will likely scrutinize the proposed modifications to assess their impact on the legislation's stated objectives and constitutional compliance.