New counterterrorism laws developed

The policy and legal framework for the much-anticipated counterterrorism laws to replace the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has been forwarded to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security for further discussion. 

The proposal made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to the Cabinet of Ministers stated that the new framework affirmed Sri Lanka’s full commitment to its human rights obligations while having adequate provisions to combat and deal with terrorism. 

The proposal for the new framework was developed by a committee appointed by Wickremesinghe and headed by Law and Order Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. 

Earlier this month, during an official visit to New Zealand, the Prime Minister spoke of the draft expressing confidence that the new laws would address the shortcomings of the PTA which had come under fire by activists over the years for its overarching power to detain people.