• Commission reviewing NCPA Act

The Women and Child Affairs Ministry stated that a committee is currently reviewing the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) Act, No. 50 of 1998, as part of a plan to examine and update all laws related to children and child protection.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, the Deputy Women and Child Affairs Minister Dr. Namal Sudarshana said that the review of the NCPA Act has been taken up as a priority, given the scale of work involved in revisiting multiple pieces of legislation. He added that the appointed committee has already begun identifying gaps and weaknesses in the existing law, and that amendments to the Act would be taken forward once this initial review is completed.

“There are several Acts that deal with children. Reviewing all of them is a major process. For now, we have appointed a committee to review the NCPA Act and to look into its deficiencies. That will be addressed first. Other child-related laws are also being reviewed. Our overall objective is to create a safer environment for children," he said. 

The NCPA Act provided for the establishment of the NCPA with a mandate to formulate a national policy on the prevention of child abuse, protect and treat children who are victims of abuse, and coordinate and monitor action against all forms of child abuse. The Authority was set up to advise the Government on policies and laws related to child protection and to ensure coordination among the relevant institutions.