2024-02-06
This statement is issued in the interest of the public, to set the record straight on the passing and the subsequent enactment of the ONLINE SAFETY ACT, No. 9 OF 2024. For the knowledge of the public, the process of enactment is explained from the beginning, to prevent being duped.
When a Bill is presented to the Parliament, there is opportunity to challenge it before the Supreme Court in accordance with the Article 121 of the Constitution. According to the provisions of the Constitution, after the Supreme Court considers them, the respective determination is submitted to the Speaker within three weeks. Thereafter, the Speaker should announce the respective determination in Parliament on the first day of the upcoming Parliamentary Sitting, and further order that the complete determination be published in the Hansard Report on the same day.
Following the above process, after presenting the Online Safety Bill to the Parliament on 03rd October 2023, the Speaker readout the Supreme Court determination to the Parliament on 07th November 2023, and ordered it to be published in the Hansard Report of the day. Thereafter, it became a public document that can be accessed by any interested party.
According to the determination of the Supreme Court, the relevant Ministry (in this case, the Ministry of Public Security) incorporates the proposed amendments with the aid of the Legal Draftsmen’s Department. The incorporation of these amendments is done by the party that presented the bill, to be consistent with the Constitution, as per the determination of the Supreme Court. The amendments are printed trilingual and distributed to all Members of Parliament in all three languages. The Online Safety Bill followed this same process, and the amendments were distributed to all Members of Parliament in all three languages on the morning of the 23rd of January 2024, which was the first day of debate in respect of the Second Reading of this Bill.
The Online Safety Bill was debated for two days, and the Committee Stage commenced on the second day, the 24th of January 2024, at 5:00 pm. According to the list of amendments given by the Ministry of Public Security, the Speaker presented each amendment to the House to be passed clause by clause. At that time, the Additional Solicitor General, who was representing the Attorney General in the official box reserved for government officials in the Parliament, informed the Speaker that all the mandatory amendments in accordance with the determination given by the Supreme Court had been included in the amendments at the time of the Committee Stage. Hon. M. A. Sumanthiran at this stage raised some concerns, and the Speaker requested the Additional Solicitor General to explain further in this regard to the Honorable member, to which the Additional Solicitor General obliged.
After the said amendments were presented and considered at the time of the Committee, the Online Safety Bill was duly passed in Parliament after the Third Reading, as is the process for any bill thus presented. At that time, the Attorney General also issued a certificate that these amendments are in accordance with the Constitution, as guided by the Supreme Court’s determination.
In this whole process, the Speaker has no role or authority to propose, accept or reject any amendment/s and/or recommendation/s suggested by any party including the Supreme Court, where the sole authority of such exercise is vested with the house of Parliament, i.e. its Members, often with majority vote.
The Speaker is bound by the Articles 79 and 80 of the Constitution to endorse the Certificate on a Bill once it has been duly passed. Accordingly, the Speaker endorsed the Certificate on the Online Safety Bill on 01st February 2024, making it the ONLINE SAFETY ACT, No. 9 OF 2024.
Thus, the office of the Speaker states that the Online Safety Bill was passed by the Parliament in accordance with the Supreme Court's determination, as was confirmed by the Attorney General’s Department. Since the legislative process of the Parliament takes place jointly with the Attorney General's Department and the Legal Draftsman's Department, there is no opportunity to act in a manner that is not in accordance with a Supreme Court determination regarding a Bill or in violation of the Constitution.
Though it is encouraging to see the improvement in conscience of some of the Members whose very conduct warranted Attorney General’s Department to be present in the final committee stage to ensure compliance with Supreme Court determinations (since the Provincial Councils Elections Amendment Act of 2017), if the members concerned could specifically mention what recommendations were ignored, the respective authorities may be able to respond to such allegations, since the Speaker has no discretion on such matters as explained above.
It’s regrettable that those who ought to know this process better are stating otherwise, and the insinuation that the Speaker can enact laws and make amendments to bills at his discretion is an insult to their own legal and constitutional knowledge.
Any Member of Parliament is welcome to come and peruse all the documents and the proceedings of the passing of the ONLINE SAFETY ACT, No. 9 OF 2024, and consult the officials that has the knowledge of the subject to understand things better.
The Speaker’s office would like to remind all Members again that discrediting the House or undermining its credibility will not do one better, as in a democracy, the parts are judged by the whole and not the other way around.
2026-09-14
Acting Secretary-General of Parliament Mr. Hansa Abeyratne has informed the Chairman of the Election Commission that a vacancy has arisen in Parliament of a Member of Parliament following the resignation of M.S. Abdul Wahid, National List Hon. Member of Parliament representing the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress.In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Election Commission, the Acting Secretary General of Parliament stated that Mr. M.S. Abdul Wahid had submitted to him a letter of resignation from his office as a Member of Parliament.According to the letter submitted by Mr. M.S. Abdul Wahid, the resignation will take effect from 14 September 2026, the Acting Secretary General further stated.Accordingly, the Chairman of the Election Commission has been informed, in terms of Section 64(5) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981, that a vacancy has arisen in a seat of the Tenth Parliament.
2026-09-11
H.E. Wei Huaxiang, the newly appointed Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Sri Lanka, paid a courtesy call on the Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, at the Parliament premises recently (Sep. 10). Secretary General of Parliament Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera was also present at the meeting.The Hon. Speaker warmly welcomed Ambassador H.E. Wei Huaxiang and congratulated him on his appointment, while reaffirming the longstanding friendship and close relations between Sri Lanka and China.The Hon. Speaker expressed Sri Lanka’s appreciation for the continued support extended by China to Sri Lanka as a true friend, particularly during various challenging periods, including the country’s recent economic crisis. He also appreciated China’s assistance following the recent Ditwah Cyclone and its continued support for the people of Sri Lanka, including the provision of school uniform material.Highlighting the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, the Hon. Speaker noted the steps taken to strengthen cooperation between the two Parliaments, including parliamentary exchange programmes. He said further initiatives and future programmes would be pursued through the Sri Lanka–China Parliamentary Friendship Association to further deepen relations between the two countries.The Hon. Speaker also briefed the Ambassador on the Government’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption and advance national reconciliation. He observed that cooperation between Sri Lanka and China has expanded into a wide range of sectors under the Belt and Road Initiative, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries.Ambassador Wei Huaxiang thanked the Hon. Speaker for the warm welcome and said he had been deeply impressed by the friendliness and smiles of the Sri Lankan people. Referring to Sri Lanka as a “beautiful Island of Smiles,” he expressed his appreciation for the warmth and hospitality extended to him since his arrival in the country.The Ambassador highlighted the longstanding historical ties between China and Sri Lanka, noting the centuries of maritime and cultural exchanges between the two nations. He said bilateral relations had continued to strengthen since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sri Lanka.Referring to recent high-level engagements, Ambassador Wei noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping had met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Dr.Harini Amarasuriya during their respective visits to China in 2025. He said these high-level engagements had provided new strategic direction for the further development of bilateral relations.The Ambassador stated that China regards Sri Lanka as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy and expressed China’s readiness to further strengthen cooperation in support of Sri Lanka’s economic development and efforts to improve the livelihoods of its people.Both sides also highlighted the significance of 2027, when Sri Lanka and China will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 75th anniversary of the Rubber-Rice Pact.Ambassador Wei Huaxiang further expressed his commitment to working towards strengthening the long-standing friendship between the two countries, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese institutions and citizens in Sri Lanka.
2026-09-11
Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution to be Debated on September 24 and 25The Parliamentary Business for the next Parliamentary Week, scheduled to be held from September 22 to 25, has been decided.The decisions were taken at the meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business held yesterday (Sep. 10), under the chairmanship of the Hon. Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne.On each day that Parliament meets, the period from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. has been allocated for Parliamentary Business specified under Standing Orders 22(1) to 22(6). The period from 10.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. has been allocated for Questions for Oral Answers, while the period from 11.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. has been allocated for Questions under Standing Order 27(2).Accordingly, on Tuesday, September 22, from 11.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., the Orders published in Extraordinary Gazette No. 2497/37 under the Petroleum Resources Act and the Promotion of Export Agriculture (Amendment) Bill (Second Reading) will be taken up for debate at.Thereafter, at 5.00 p.m., the Tredso Development Foundation (Incorporation) Bill, a Private Member’s Bill, is scheduled to be taken up for Second Reading and thereafter referred to the Legislative Standing Committee.From 5.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., an Motion at the Adjournment Time moved by the Opposition is scheduled to be taken up for debate.On Wednesday, September 23, from 11.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., the debate on the Chartered Institute of Media Professionals of Sri Lanka Bill (Second Reading) will be held.Thereafter, the period from 5.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. has been allocated for Questions at the Adjournment Time.On Thursday, September 24, from 11.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m., time has been allocated for the Second Reading debate on the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill.It was agreed that the two-day debate would be held subject to the Hon. Speaker making an announcement to Parliament following the delivery of the Supreme Court determination on the petitions filed against the respective Bills under Article 121 of the Constitution.On Friday, September 25, from 11.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m., it has been decided to continue the Second Reading debate on the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill for the second day.
2026-09-09
The Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Bill was passed in Parliament today (Sep. 09).The debate on the second reading of the Bill was held in Parliament from 11.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. today, following which the Bill was passed without a division.The Bill was presented to Parliament for its first reading on 4th August 2026.The Bill has been introduced to repeal the Chief of Defence Staff Act, No. 35 of 2009. The Act was enacted in 2009 to carry out functions including the coordination of activities between the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence, in accordance with the requirements of the time.Accordingly, with the repeal of the Chief of Defence Staff Act, No. 35 of 2009, the position of Chief of Defence Staff is also set to be repealed under this Bill.Furthermore, upon the commencement of this Act, all movable and immovable property belonging to the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff will be transferred to the Ministry of Defence.
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