News
National Shoora Council asks Justice Minister to show MMDA draft amendments to Muslim civil organisations before submitting it to Cabinet
The National Shoora Council (NSC) has urged the Minister of Justice to place the proposed draft amendments to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) for the consideration of Muslim civil society organisations including the NSC before placing the proposed amendments for the consideration of the Cabinet. The following is the full text of the letter addressed to Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe by NSC President T.K. Azoor Attorney at Law and Secretary Rashid M. Imtiaz Attorney at Law.
The National Shoora Council (NSC) wishes to welcome your initiatives to amend the MMDA, a matter pending for a considerable period of time.The NSC understands that a draft amendment to the MMDA is pending to be placed before the Cabinet of Ministers. However we wish to request that the proposed draft amendments be made available for the consideration of the Muslim civil society organisations including the NSC, before being presented for the approval of the Cabinet, because the MMDA is a personal law applicable to the Muslim community of Sri Lanka and obtaining the community’s concurrence to the final draft would be the most democratic and transparent process of amending the law. The NSC is constrained to make this request in the light of certain amendments in the draft said to be based on a recently State appointed Committee comprising of a Chairperson holding office in the State and whose report has not been released to the Muslim community.
In any event, international treaties which form a part of the international law have adequate provisions which protect the human rights of minority communities to live according to their religions, culture and customs without interferences particularly from the State. Examples are Article 27 of the ICCPR and Article 1 of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National, or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. Sri Lanka’s constitutional provisions such as Article 10 read with Articles 9 and 4(d) and Articles 14(1)(e) and (f) as well as Article 27(15), protect these rights and have mandated the State and all the organs of Government to “respect, secure and advance” these rights of the minority communities.
The Superior Courts of Sri Lanka have also held that changes to the personal laws of the communities must be with the concurrence of the particular community. The NSC wishes to assure you its fullest cooperation in this regard.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) relating to the project to provide technological solutions to prevent wild elephants from being hit by trains was signed yesterday (01) afternoon at the President’s Media Centre, under the patronage of Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Coordinated through the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme, the project is being implemented as a public-private partnership, with the Railway Department, the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Forest Conservation Department working together, with full financial support from People’s Bank.
The system consists of three-beam detection, passive infrared (PIR) sensors, automatic temperature sensors and a tamper alarm system to detect animals weighing more than 20 kilogrammes and unauthorised interference. Signal lights (red/yellow/green) installed on either side of the railway tracks, together with a special screen installed inside the locomotive cab, will alert the driver in advance to the exact location of an elephant.
A demonstration test of the system was successfully conducted at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage premises in the presence of the relevant officials, following which a report on the system was prepared.
The system will be implemented as a pilot project from next month at 13 locations where wild elephant accidents are frequent. A newly developed website is also scheduled to be launched to enable the progress of the project to be viewed live.
Additional General Manager of Railways P.D.S.B. Chandrasena, Director General of Wildlife Conservation M.S.L.R.P. Marasinghe, Conservator General of Forests S.C. Palamakuumbura and Chairman of People’s Bank Chandana Guniyangoda signed the relevant MoU. Officials from the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat, including Presidential Additional Secretary (Clean Sri Lanka) Engineer S.P.C. Sugeeshwara, as well as senior officials from the Railway Department, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Forest Conservation Department and People’s Bank, were also present.
[President’s Media Division]
The Commissioner General of Examinations has announced that the results of the 2026 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination have been released online, and can be viewed on the department’s official website: www.doenets.lk
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed Sri Lanka on Monday, 31 August, to undertake an official visit to Bhutan to participate in the Global Conscious Food Systems Summit, scheduled to be held in Bhutan.
During her visit, Prime Minister Dr Amarasuriya participated in the opening plenary of the Summit on 1 September, where she delivered a keynote address under the theme “Rising to the Moment: Igniting Consciousness to Address the Polycrisis.”
The Prime Minister will also engage in discussions with international leaders and representatives on strengthening cooperation towards sustainable food systems, food security and resilient communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
MoU signed for technology to prevent wild elephant-train collisions
Grade 5 scholarship exam results released
Prime Minister participates in Global Conscious Food Systems Summit in Bhutan
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Muneeba, Pakistan’s spinners knock Thailand out of Asia Cup
Showers will occur in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
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