The Sri Lanka Electricity Bill as a whole is inconsistant with the Constitution and would require a special 2/3 Parliamentary majority to pass in its current form, the Supreme Court has ruled. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced the Supreme Court's determination in Parliament this morning (4).
The Bill as a whole is inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and shall only be passed by the special majority of Parliament required under Article 84 (2), the Supreme Court has noted. The Court has added that this inconsistency however shall cease if Clause 1(2) and Clause 1(3) are amended as set out in the summary of the Determination of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has also suggested amendments to a number of other Clauses in the Bill.
A three-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices Vijith Malalgoda, Shiran Gooneratne and Arjuna Obeysekere conveyed the determination after considering 29 fundamental rights petitions that were filed challenging the constitutionality of the Bill.
A Sri Lankan man was apprehended at Suvarnabhumi airport for attempting to smuggle wildlife out of the country after three ball pythons were found hidden in his underwear, the Bangkok post reported.
The UK government has unveiled a package of reforms to simplify imports from developing countries which allows for more garments manufactured in Sri Lanka to enter the UK tariff-free.
Read these and more on tomorrow’s edition of the Sunday Times
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