A committee has been appointed to look into the repealing of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the Ministry of Justice and National Integration has announced. 

The committee will be headed by President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsecularatne and is expected to commence public consultations in May.

The committee has also been tasked with obtaining inputs from civil society organizations, and feedback from international institutions and communities.

A preliminary discussion regarding the repeal of the PTA was held on 11 April under the leadership of the Minister of Justice and National Integration, Attorney-at-law Harsha Nanayakkara, at the Ministry of Justice premises.

During the discussion, the Justice Minister has claimed that the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act is a policy of the incumbent government.

The Justice Minister has emphasized that the new Act should be one that can tackle global terrorism and challenges, while also ensuring it does not infringe upon constitutionally guaranteed human rights and the freedom of expression, as recognized internationally.

The Ministry of Justice further stated that past governments have not acted with due diligence in bringing about these legal reforms, and that the appointed committee has been instructed to concretely identify the relevant matters for repealing the Act within a short timeframe.