The gazette to officially abolish the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) will be issued early next month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Hearth announced today.
The gazette to officially abolish the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) will be issued early next month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Hearth announced today.
The minister said the government is awaiting the final report from the committee chaired by President's Counsel Rienzie Arsekularatne, which was appointed to examine the process of repealing the controversial law.
“The committee is expected to submit its report by early next month, and once received, we will proceed with issuing the gazette to abolish the PTA,” Hearth stated.
He also confirmed that a new piece of legislation designed to replace the PTA is currently being drafted. The upcoming law, he said, will be aimed at safeguarding national security while aligning with international human rights standards.
The PTA, which has been in place since 1979, has long faced criticism from rights groups both locally and internationally for enabling arbitrary detention and abuse.
