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National Shoora Council urges draft amendments to MMDA to be placed before Muslim civil organisations prior to Cabinet approval

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3 years ago

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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 interferes 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.


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Coast Guard arrests seven with nearly 10,000 foreign cigarettes

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2026/01/15

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image courtesy Sri Lanka Coast Guard

Based on intelligence received by the Sri Lanka Coast Guard seven persons were arrested at Negombo, Panadura, Amblangoda and Weligama areas in possession of 9800 foreign cigarettes during search operations conducted from 5th to 13th January 2026

Officers of the Divisional Crime Detective Bureau, Mount Lavinia, too, have been involved in the operation, a senior official said.

The arrested persons along with the seized cigarettes were handed over to the Negombo, Mount Lavinia, Amblangoda and Weligama Police stations for further investigation and onward legal action.

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PUCSL rules out electricity tariff revision in first quarter, 2026, finds fault with CEB

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2 mins ago

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2026/01/15

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The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) yesterday (14) announced that there wouldn’t be an electricity tariff revision for the first quarter of 2026 due to the failure on the part of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to submit a formal tariff revision proposal within the stipulated period.

In a statement issued, the PUCSL said that the following factors were taken into consideration: (1)the CEB’s failure to submit a formal proposal before the specified time, the defects in the original proposal, and the disadvantages of a high percentage change in tariffs in case a revision is implemented for the the first quarter, even if the CEB submits a new proposal.

The PUCSL said it informed the CEB in a letter in October last year to submit the tariff revision proposal for the period from January to March 2026 by November 14, 2025. But, the CEB had submitted its proposal for the first quarter of 2026 on December 29, 2025. Due to the errors in that proposal, the PUCSL said it informed the CEB on January 05, 2026, to submit a proper proposal before January 08, 2026. The CEB has failed to meet that deadline.

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Asset acquisitions from 2009 to 2014: Weerawansa appears in court after HC issues arrest warrant

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3 mins ago

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2026/01/15

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Wimal

The Colombo High Court yesterday (14) issued a warrant for the arrest of National Freedom Front (NFF) leader and former Minister Wimal Weerawansa for failing to appear in court in connection with a case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

The court subsequently ordered the recall of the arrest warrant when Weerawansa appeared before the court through his legal counsel. The case pertains to allegations of the unlawful acquisition of assets valued at over Rs. 75 million between January 01, 2009 and December 31, 2014. The CIABOC alleged that Weerawansa had acquired assets amounting to Rs 75 million.

The CIABOC has said that this is an offence punishable under the Asset and Property Act and listed 32 witnesses and 93 articles as evidence.

The charge sheet states that the assets in question include houses, vehicles and money.

The arrest warrant was issued by Colombo High Court Judge Mohamed Mihal.

The judge also directed that notices be served to the defendant’s bail signatories, requiring their presence before the court on the next scheduled hearing.

The CIABOC filed the case in November 2027 during the Yahapalanaya administration.

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