News

Govt. tells UN 22nd Amendment meant to strengthen judicial independence

Published

15 hours ago

2026/09/9

The government has highlighted what it describes as a series of judicial reforms, including the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, as part of its efforts to strengthen judicial independence, reduce the backlog of cases and build a more effective justice system.

Addressing the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, Sumith Dassanayake, has said the new government had recognised challenges within the country’s judicial and prison systems and was taking measures to address them.

Dassanayake said the present government remained committed to judicial independence and had introduced reforms aimed at strengthening the courts, expediting cases and reducing the backlog of cases.

Ambassador Dassanayake said that the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution sought to strengthen the judicial system by addressing issues relating to the retirement age of judges, retaining experienced judicial professionals and further strengthening the capacity of the courts.

The reforms, the Ambassador said, are intended to ensure that judicial expertise is retained within the system while enabling courts to deal more effectively with the large number of pending cases.

The Ambassador said the government was also taking steps to address challenges in the prison system, including overcrowding, as part of wider judicial and prison-sector reforms.

Sri Lanka’s emphasis on judicial reform came as the government responded to the latest written update of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka at the opening of the UN Human Rights Council session.

Dassanayake said Sri Lanka had taken note of the OHCHR update and reaffirmed the country’s continued engagement with the Human Rights Council.

He urged the Council to assess Sri Lanka’s situation in a balanced, objective and constructive manner, while taking into account the measures being undertaken by the present government.

“We respectfully urge the Council that Sri Lanka’s situation be assessed in a balanced, objective and constructive manner, in keeping with the principles governing the Council, and that Sri Lanka be supported in its efforts to create a just society,” he said.

The Ambassador said the new Government had taken steps to create a just and fair country, despite external pressures, while pursuing an agenda aimed at promoting reconciliation.

He also said Sri Lanka had not supported Resolution 6/1, including the extension of the mandate relating to an external evidence mechanism, arguing that such a system could create divisions among communities and undermine the country’s reconciliation process.

Dassanayake said the government had continued to work with UN agencies on reconciliation-related initiatives during the past year.

He also outlined other measures being pursued by the government, including plans to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act and replace it with new legislation, as well as proposed amendments to the Online Safety Act.

Steps are also being taken through the Office on Missing Persons and the Office for Reparations to address outstanding issues, he said.

The Ambassador referred to measures relating to the release of land, valuation and compensation, as well as proposed amendments to immigration laws to facilitate the return of refugees to Sri Lanka.

He stressed that the government remained committed to taking action against alleged unlawful conduct regardless of the status or rank of those involved.

He also reiterated the government’s position that there should be no room for the resurgence of extremism or racial division in Sri Lanka.

The present government, he said, remains committed to fulfilling its obligations and called for continued international engagement that supports the country’s efforts towards justice, reconciliation and institutional reform.

The remarks were made as the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council began in Geneva, with Sri Lanka’s human rights record, reconciliation process and accountability remaining among the issues receiving international attention.

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Bangladesh bank on bowlers in bid to bring India down

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

Bangladesh will look to curb Shafali Verma's aggression [cRICINFO]

If Bangladesh take the route of seeking inspiration from the past to bring down heavyweights India on Thursday, they will have to squint their eyes and go back to pre-Covid times for their last victory against them in the Women’s Asia Cup. India have had the better of their neighbours over their last eight meetings, and last lost to Bangladesh in a T20I three years ago, when a very similar-looking Indian batting line-up was kept to 102 for 9.

Before that, Bangladesh had shocked India with back-to-back wins that culminated in their maiden Asia Cup title, by again stifling India to an underwhelming 112 for 9.

The Bangladesh team of today – as their recent fights have shown over the last two World Cups – is a version far improved from the ones of 2018 and 2023. They have scared teams like Australia and England (ODI World Cup) and India (T20 World Cup) in the last 12 months and they recently beat the higher ranked Pakistan in the UK by keeping them to 100 for 8.

It is this bowling strength that Bangladesh must bank on to try and bring down India, whose batting has stuttered every now and then, including a collapse of 8 for 46 against Thailand earlier in the tournament. India have had middle-order issues for a while now – it’s one of the things that kept them from a knockout berth in the last T20 World Cup – and Bangladesh will be itching to strike while the iron is hot.

They have laid the foundations in the last 10 days by routing Indonesia for 58, making Sri Lanka sweat in a chase of 115, and suffocating UAE’s batters to 69 for 9 with semi-finals qualification on the line.

Pratika Rawal, India’s No. 3 for this tournament in place of the injured Jemimah Rodrigues, hasn’t quite shown the promise in this format that she has in ODIs. Her 36 runs in three innings have come at a strike rate of just 109.09, against some of the lower-ranked teams in the world. Now into the knockouts, the time is ripe for Rawal to step up against one of the stronger bowling attacks of the tournament, especially if one of the openers doesn’t get going.

Swing bowler Marufa Akter is doing Marufa Akter things at this Asia Cup. She has struck in her opening spell in each of her three games so far – including the big scalp of Chamari Athapathuthu for 1. She has made the ball talk with her prodigious swing, and is the top wicket-taker in this Asia Cup among pace bowlers, with an economy rate of 3.27. She will hold the key for Bangladesh as they come up against a top order comprising Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Rawal.

Team news

After constant chopping and changing during the T20 World Cup in the UK, India have gone unchanged in the three games of this tournament. They will be expected to field the same XI again.

India (probable): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma.

Bangladesh have used 14 players, in comparison, including a debut for 17-year-old allrounder Farjana Easmin. They may not make too many changes this time as the two players who came into the XI on Tuesday – Rabeya Khan and Sharmin Akter – played starring roles in beating UAE.

Bangladesh (probable): Juairiya Ferdous, Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), Sobhana Mostary, Dilara Akter, Shorna Akter, Rabeya Khan, Sharmin Akter, Nahida Akter, Sultana Khatun, Marufa Akter, Fahima Khatun.

[Cricinfo]

News

Establishment of National Trade Negotiation Committee (NTFC) and Trade Policy Consultation Committee.

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 24-08-2026 to implement the recommendations submitted by the committee appointed to review Sri Lanka’s current Free Trade Agreements and future course of Free Trade Agreements in Sri Lanka.

Taking into account these recommendations, it has been
recognized the necessity of establishing a National Trade Negotiation Committee and Trade Policy Consultation Committee enabling Sri Lanka to follow a more targeted, sequential, and evidence-based approach in conducting negotiations for Sri Lanka’s future Free Trade Agreements and to ensure a sustainable and meaningful stakeholder consultation process.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commercial, Food Security, and Cooperative Development to act as follows.

• Establishment of a National Trade Negotiation Committee to guide trade discussions conducted with potential bilateral or regional trade partners
• Appointment of the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development as the Chairman of the National Trade Negotiation Committee and
the Chief National Trade Negotiator.
• Establishment of 12 subject specific sub- committees with the required technical working groups under the National Trade Negotiation Committee
• Appointment of Trade Policy Consultative Committee comprising of trade experts, researchers engaged in research relevant to trade field, business community, unions, civil societies and relevant public officers to instruct the National Trade Negotiation Committee on active and technical sectors, to submit the policy recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the matters relevant to the trade agreements, to inquire sustainable ideas regarding the Free Trade Agreements, and to ensure the communication mechanism.
• The Minister in charge of the Subject international trade and the Minister in charge of the subject of Industry to serve as Co-Chairpersons of the Trade Policy Advisory Committee.

News

Justice Minister hits back at CLA

Published

15 hours ago

2026/09/9

Sahan Weerasooriya

Harshana Nanayakkara

By Saman Indrajith

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara yesterday told Parliament that the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association (CLA) was not an organisation officially recognised or registered under the Commonwealth Secretariat, but a fee-levying private association.

Responding to a question by Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa on why he had failed to meet CLA representatives, who recently visited Sri Lanka, Nanayakkara said he had offered them a date and time for a meeting, but they had been unable to attend.

The Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) has questioned procedural fairness and other matters of concern in a report that deals with the Supreme Court hearing petitions against the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. Among the issues raised by CLA President Steven Thiru, is the composition of the five-member bench.

The Minister said the CLA representatives subsequently requested another date, but he had already scheduled official engagements for the proposed day.

Nanayakkara said it was, therefore, incorrect to claim that he had refused to meet the CLA delegation.

“The CLA is not an official body accepted or admitted into the Commonwealth of countries. It is a private club whose members pay fees for membership,” he said.

However, the Minister said he was not suggesting that the organisation was “a bad organisation”, adding that the accuracy of several statements made by CLA members during their visit to Sri Lanka had yet to be established.

Nanayakkara identified lawyer Upul Jayasuriya as the CLA’s local representative and said Jayasuriya had sought a meeting with him.

“I gave him the opportunity, but he came up with the excuse that he could not make it as he was not in Colombo. Therefore, it is wrong to state that I did not give them time,” the Minister said.