Speaker signs newly-ratified Bills into law

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena endorsed the certificate on the Industrial Disputes (Special Provisions), the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment), Civil Procedure Code (Amendment) Bills passed by Parliament recently. The purpose of the Industrial Disputes (Special Provisions) Bill was to reduce the congestion in the Magistrates’ Courts in resolving labour disputes and to delegate the powers of prosecution to the Chairmen of Labour Tribunals.

The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill amends Section 442 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act No. 15 of 1979 and provides a free copy of the final order of the judgment or case report to each party in a case free of charge. The Civil Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill adds a new section 154 (a) to the Civil Procedure Code and exempts certain documents from formal proof in certain legal proceedings.

Accordingly, the said Bills are now in effect from June 23 as the Civil Procedure Code (Amendment) Act No. 17 of 2022, Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act No. 18 of 2022 and the Industrial Disputes (Special Provisions) Act No. 19 of 2022.