The presentation of the new anti-terrorism bill would be delayed further, informed Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe on Thursday. The new bill is supposed to replace the draconian counter –terrorism law in parliament. This announcement came a day after a powerful body of lawyers said it would not hesitate to challenge any legislation that would undermine the rule of law and liberty of the citizens.
The much-maligned Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) of 1979 will be replaced with the new Anti Terrorism Act (ATA).
The new counterterrorism law will be introduced later this month, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said reporters on April 1. The bill, according to the justice minister, will now be delayed until either late April or early May.
The PTA was widely criticised for being too draconian and allowing people to be held without charges for extended periods of time, thus Sri Lanka replaced it with a new law called the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA).
International pressure was put on Sri Lanka to revoke the PTA, which was put into place in 1979 as a temporary countermeasure to the escalating violence of Tamil separatists.
The new ATA would be unveiled by June, according to earlier statements from President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka, which represents attorneys, had called for a delay in its presentation on Wednesday, stating that no stakeholders had been consulted during the preparation of the draught bill. This declaration was made today.
The 97-page revised Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) was released in the official gazette on March 17.