Speaker of House Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne has received the Supreme Court determination regarding the Protection of the State from Terrorism (PSTA) Bill today (10), according to the Speaker's Office.
The Supreme Court started hearing the petitions challenging the proposed Organized Crime Prevention Bill on November 04, 2026. A bench of three judges, comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena alongside Justices Achala Wengappuli and Sampath Abeykoon, considered the matter.
Challenging the provisions
Altogether, 26 petitions were submitted by several groups, including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL). The petitioners argued that certain clauses in the Bill breach fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
Hearings continued for a second day yesterday (09) regarding claims that the provisions are inconsistent with the Constitution.
Proposed amendments by the state
During yesterday's proceedings, the Attorney General told the Supreme Court that the government plans several amendments. One key revision is reducing the maximum detention period from 72 hours down to 48 hours.
Provisions regarding tattoos and body marks will be removed from the draft law. The state also plans to take out intellectual property copyright offences and all offences under the Excise Ordinance.
Furthermore, a rule requiring prior court permission before publishing details on cases involving serious crimes will be dropped. The court was informed that adjustments regarding the detention of arrested individuals and issuing detention orders will be looked at later.
What happens next
At the end of yesterday's hearing, the Supreme Court stated that its confidential determination regarding the Bill's constitutionality would be sent to the Speaker of Parliament House and the President.
