The Supreme Court has decided to confidentially deliver its verdict to the Speaker of Parliament pertaining to the compliance of the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, tabled in Parliament by MP Premnath C. Dolawatte, with the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

The court announced its decision this morning (21 April), after concluding the hearing of a petition filed against the proposed Bill.

The relevant petition was heard before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Justices Vijith Malalgoda and Arjun Obeysekera.

Accordingly, the court ordered that all written submissions pertaining to the petition in question be filed on or before 24 April.

A petition was filed by Retired Army Brigadier K. Athula H. de Silva, Shenali D. Waduge and Jehan Hameed, naming MP Dolawatte and the Attorney General as the respondents, seeking an order that if the proposed Penal Code (Amendment) Bill is required to be passed, it must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote in the Parliament and also a referendum, since the provisions contained in the proposed bill violate the fundamental human rights mentioned in the Constitution.

The petitioners alleged that the relevant Bill tabled as a private members’ Bill by MP Dolawatte attempted to interpret homosexuality as a non-criminal offence, while promoting such activities.

The petition also mentions that it is contrary to the expectations of the legislature regarding the penal code and thereby seriously violates the provisions of the constitution, adding that certain provision of the Bill in question are also against religious beliefs, as homosexual activities have not been endorsed in accordance with Buddhist, Hindu, Christian or Islamic beliefs.