Region and country Archives: Sri Lanka

11/05/2023

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 […]

19/04/2023

Sri Lanka: Judges Affirm Their Role in Addressing Discrimination Based on Gender Stereotypes

Sri Lankan judges who participated in the Judicial Dialogue on Access to Justice for Women conducted by the International Commission of Jurists in partnership with the Sri Lanka Judges’ Institute recognized that implicit biases and stereotypes hamper substantive gender equality and discussed ways for these to be countered so as to advance women’s access to […]

12/04/2023

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 […]

31/03/2023

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 […]

23/03/2023

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 […]

13/03/2023

Sri Lanka: Parliamentary action undermines independence of the Judiciary

The ICJ today called upon the Government to respect an Interim Order of the Supreme Court to ensure that funds are available to hold local elections and for the Speaker of Parliament to withdraw his referral of Supreme Court Judges for inquiry of a potential breach of parliamentary privileges. On 7 March, Government Member of […]

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