His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has filed a petition challenging the Anti-Terrorism Bill which was presented to the parliament by the government in a bid to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

In his petition, the Cardinal has requested the Supreme Court to deliver an order stating that several provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Bill are not in line with the Constitution.

The Attorney General has been named as the respondent of the petition, which alleges that the proposed legislation, if passed in its current form, would grant unlimited powers to the Tri-Forces, the Police and the Coast Guard to make unwarranted arrests without reasonable suspicion.

This is a violation of the fundamental rights including the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution, the Cardinal raised alarm in his petition.

Hence, the Cardinal has sought a Supreme Court to issue an order mandating a parliamentary vote with a two-thirds majority and a referendum to pass the Bill, which was tabled in the parliament on January 10.

Last week, the president of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union Wasantha Samarasinghe also put forward a petition against the Anti-Terrorism Bill, seeking a Supreme Court order declaring that certain provisions are unconstitutional.

On September 05, 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to publish the Anti-Terrorism Bill, which was revised in accordance with the suggestions and opinions received by different parties in the government gazette, and to table the bill in parliament for passing.

Although the original draft bill had been published in the government gazette on March 22, 2023, it was later revised and re-drafted in consideration of all the opinions and suggestions received by the Ministry of Justice by various interested parties in this regard both locally and internationally.

However, the Bill has sparked controversy both locally and internationally, with rights organizations including the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) urging the government to revise the proposed legislation and to bring it fully in line with Sri Lanka’s international human rights obligations.