• Definition of violence to be expanded

The Ministry of Women, Child Affairs, and Social Empowerment plans to repeal the current Prevention of Domestic Violence Act in order to introduce a new act which will address shortcomings in the existing law. 

Women, Child Affairs, and Social Empowerment Ministry Legal Officer Kumudu Perera told The Sunday Morning that it had been decided to repeal the existing Prevention of Domestic Violence Act No.34 of 2005 and to bring in a new act with amendments to address gaps in the former. 

“The changes are to improve the existing law in a number of ways; for example, by including provisions to allow for any party interested in the victim to come forward about domestic violence,” said Perera.

“Other changes will allow for stamp fees to be waived so as to allow victims to go to court without paying a fee and will expand the definition of violence to include those such as economic and psychological violence as well.”

“The new law will only provide counselling as a pathway based on the consent of the parties involved,” she added. 

Perera said that they had decided to bring in a new act to reduce the space for confusion regarding the law (which would have arisen if the old act remained with new amendments), as this was a law that applied to the domestic sphere. 

“We hope that having a new act will result in a better implementation of the law. This was the President’s request as well,” she added. 

According to Perera, Cabinet approval has already been received to draft a new act. 

These changes follow the Women’s Empowerment Bill which was gazetted on 7 March, under which a Women’s Commission is to be established, and the Gender Equality Bill which was gazetted on 17 April.