Sri Lanka faces legal challenges over proposed terrorism and crime bills

Sri Lanka is facing significant legal and civil scrutiny over two proposed pieces of legislation: the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTA) and the Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill (OCB). Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne has informed Parliament that 40 constitutional petitions have been filed challenging the constitutionality of the PSTA, bringing the government’s national security approach under judicial review by the Supreme Court.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has issued warnings that these bills could grant extraordinary powers of arrest, detention, and surveillance to the Executive while weakening judicial oversight. Critics and legal experts express concern that the broad definitions of offenses within the legislation may fail to distinguish between genuine terrorist activity and legitimate democratic expressions, such as peaceful protest, trade union action, and investigative journalism.

These concerns are rooted in Sri Lanka’s history with the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which has been in effect since 1979. The BASL noted that the PTA has frequently been used against political opponents, activists, and journalists, leading to prolonged detentions without trial. The current debate centers on whether the new reforms will provide meaningful improvements to human rights or simply repackage existing repressive powers.