Gendered Dimensions: A Critical Look at the Online Safety Act of Sri Lanka
Amidst public protests, Sri Lanka passed the Online Safety Act (‘OSA’) on 24 January 2024. The passing of the Act drew much criticism for having the potential to stifle freedom...
Unravelling the Human Rights Implications of Sri Lanka’s New Anti-Corruption Law
Human rights in Sri Lanka have only deteriorated in recent years amidst the economic crisis that unfolded in 2022. The public, although dissatisfied with the state of affairs, is barred...
Sri Lankan High Court Delivers a Landmark Order as a Bulwark for Freedom of Expression
Within Sri Lanka, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) enabling legislation – the ICCPR Act No. 56 of 2007 – has only ever been used to persecute,...
Rosanna Flamer-Caldera v Sri Lanka (CEDAW, 2022): The First International Case on Lesbian Criminalisation
Image Description: The words CEDAW appear along with the logo of the United Nations. UN Logo – The olive branches are a symbol for peace, and the world map represents...
The ‘Crimmigration’ of Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in India
Image description: Sri Lankan refugees in India. Many of them hold pieces of paper in their hand. India has engaged in the practice of granting temporary asylum to refugees from...
The Human Rights Situation in Sri Lanka and UNHRC Resolution 46/1
On 23rd March 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council (‘UNHRC’) adopted Resolution 46/1 with 22 countries voting in favour, 11 against, and 14 abstaining. The Resolution criticised the Sri...
Covid-19 in Sri Lanka: Is Free Speech the next Victim?
On 1 April 2020, Sri Lanka’s police announced that it would arrest those who disseminate false or disparaging statements about government officials combating the spread of the Covid-19 virus. In...
Supreme Court of Sri Lanka Recognises Custodial Death as a Violation of the Right to Life
In the landmark judgement of Rathnayake Tharanga Lakmali v Niroshan Abeykoon, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka held that the extra-judicial killing of a suspect in police custody violated the...
Speech and Spies: Why Sri Lanka’s New Counterterrorism Law is a Terrible Idea
A year ago, Sri Lanka promised the world that it would repeal its current Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). In a historic co-sponsored resolution, it assured the UN Human Rights...
The Struggle for Right to Information in Sri Lanka: Is it Leaving Victims Behind?
Sri Lanka is on the brink of a historic moment. Following a long struggle spanning over a decade, a Bill on the Right to Information (RTI) was tabled in the...
Hate Speech in Sri Lanka: How a New Ban Could Perpetuate Impunity
In June 2014, an altercation between a Buddhist monk and two Muslims resulted in a public rally in Aluthgama—a small town on the Southern coast of Sri Lanka known for...
Sri Lanka’s Second Chance to Achieve Lasting Peace
History has given Sri Lanka a second chance. In 2009, as the conflict drew to its traumatic close, there was a window of opportunity to heal the wounds of Asia’s...
