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New anti-terror bill: Justice Minister asks for submissions from public, civil society
Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, yesterday (02) said that interested parties could make submissions pertaining to the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill till May 31. The Minister said that proposals could be e-mailed to justicemedia07@gmail.com .Civil society groups could make submissions, the Minister said. The Justice Minister announced in Parliament, last Friday (28), that the Bill wouldn’t be presented on that day, as scheduled, to give an opportunity to those interested in making fresh submissions.
The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya, the JVP, SLPP rebels and civil society groups, Amnesty International, as well as the Bar Association roundly condemned the proposed Bill. They alleged that the new law, brought in place of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), was far worse than the original legislation, enacted in 1979.