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Region and country Archives: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: ICJ welcomes the Supreme Court’s determination that the proposed amendment decriminalizing consensual same-sex sexual relations between adults is constitutional

The ICJ today welcomed the determination by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka regarding the constitutionality of the private member’s bill entitled Penal Code (Amendment) Bill 2023 whose stated objective is to repeal “provisions that make sexual orientation a punishable offence”. The Bill had been challenged by three petitioners who sought a determination by the […]

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Decolonising the law: Repeal antiquated “morality laws”

Can an alien cultural and moral imposition in violation of human rights become one’s own law and belief? Indeed, this is what British colonialism gifted Sri Lanka through the introduction of “morality laws”, such as the Vagrants Ordinance of 1841 and the criminalisation of consensual same-sex relationships through the Penal Code of 1883. The conversation […]

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Sri Lanka: Proposed “anti-terror” bill set to introduce death penalty and break existing human rights violations record

The ICJ is concerned that the newly proposed anti-terrorism legislation, if adopted as currently formulated, will give rise to a panoply of human rights violations and, much as the existing “Prevention of Terrorism Act”, is open to misuse. On 22 March 2023, the government of Sri Lanka published the proposed 97-page “Anti- Terrorism Bill” (Gazette […]

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Six judiciaries from Asia commit to the adoption of the Bangkok General Guidance for Judges on Applying a Gender Perspective

Representatives of judiciaries and judicial training academies from across South and Southeast Asia have agreed to take effective measures to ensure that a gender perspective is incorporated into their judicial roles and functions. In particular, they have committed to work toward the adoption of Bangkok General Guidance for Judges on Applying a Gender Perspective. Thirty-nine […]

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