- Committee has met 45 times so far
The committee appointed to review and recommend the repeal of Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) is scheduled to finalise the draft Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB) on Monday (11), following months of public consultations, legal review, and mounting domestic and international criticism over the proposed legislation.
The proposed bill, which was officially published in December 2025, is intended to repeal and replace the controversial PTA of 1979. Following its publication, the Government opened the draft for public consultation, with submissions officially closing on 28 February.
Since the consultation period concluded, the proposed legislation has come under intense scrutiny from civil society organisations, legal experts, international human rights bodies, and foreign stakeholders. Many have warned that several provisions within the draft remain inconsistent with international human rights standards.
A senior official familiar with the review process, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Sunday Morning that the committee was in the final stages of completing the revised draft.
“We are meeting on Monday (11) to finalise the draft, which contains all the adjustments made after considering the views expressed by the concerned parties,” the source said.
The source further explained that the committee had provided an extensive consultation period after uploading the draft to the Ministry of Justice website and subsequently held numerous sittings to examine stakeholder feedback.
“When we concluded our sittings and uploaded the draft, we had met 33 times. Thereafter, we met another 12 times, bringing the total number of sittings to 45. There have been no blockades, and we have continued the process,” the source stated.
While the committee has confirmed that revisions have been incorporated into the latest version of the bill, it remains unclear which specific public submissions and international recommendations have ultimately been accepted.
The committee is also expected to determine a date to formally hand over the finalised draft to the Minister of Justice following Monday’s meeting.
The progression of the proposed legislation has unfolded against a backdrop of growing concern from international human rights institutions and diplomatic stakeholders.
Repealing the PTA is a key policy priority of the National People’s Power (NPP) Government, as outlined in its election manifesto. A committee chaired by President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsecularatne was appointed in April 2025 to review and recommend the repeal of the PTA.
The PTA, initially passed in 1979 as a temporary measure, has long been criticised for enabling prolonged detention without charge and facilitating human rights violations.
Amnesty International and several international rights organisations have repeatedly raised concerns over provisions allowing suspects to be detained for extended periods without charge, the admissibility of confessions allegedly obtained under duress, restrictions on freedom of expression and association through ministerial orders, and the difficulty in obtaining bail under the law.
Successive Sri Lankan governments have repeatedly pledged to repeal or reform the PTA under both domestic and international pressure.
In 2018, the then Government introduced a Counter-Terrorism Bill, which rights groups, legal experts, and international observers argued contained provisions that were equally restrictive as, or in some instances more restrictive than, the PTA, ultimately resulting in the proposal being withdrawn following widespread opposition.