SLYJA writes to UN Special Rapporteur expressing concerns on proposed Data Protection Law

Sri Lanka Young Journalists' Association (SLYJA) wrote to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression expressing severe concerns of imminent rights violations through the proposed Data Protection Law.

Amongst the most serious concerns we have is that the draft law compromises the rights of journalists limits the enjoyment of the right to information and grants powers to conduct inquiries and issue punishments by one and same institution that is not a court of law, the journalists' outfit said in a statement. 

A draft law (bill) for Personal Data Protection was gazetted on 25th November 2021 and tabled in parliament on January 20. 

The outfit also noted that the gazette and draft bill came to its notice quite late and article 121 of the constitution provides only a week to challenge a draft bill that’s tabled in parliament at the Supreme Court. “We attempted to challenge some provisions of the bill by e-filing a petition on 27th January and filing a hardcopy petition on 28th January, but both petitions were dismissed on the technicality of being delayed,” 

Subsequently, SLYJA also sent a letter to all Members of Parliament, the Right to Information Commission, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, the Attorney General and other relevant authorities about our concerns on February 2. 

SLYJA also drew the attention of a critique of the draft bill published in the editorial of the Sunday Times newspaper on February 13, one of the most popular English Sunday newspapers in Sri Lanka. https://www.sundaytimes.lk/220213/editorial/data-protection-or-data-secrecy-472336.html

“Unconfirmed information received by us indicates that the parliamentary debate on the draft law may happen on 22nd February 2022 after which it is likely to be enacted as a law, which cannot be challenged in a Sri Lankan court,”

SLYJA urged UN Special Rapporteur to undertake an analysis of the draft bill and its implications on rights and rule of law and makes interventions with the Sri Lankan government to prevent any harmful effects