News

Penal Code inadequate to deal with Meegoda-type incidents – Prathiba

Published

3 weeks ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Prof. Prathiba

… finds fault with successive govts. for not amending relevant laws to impose deterrent punishment

Prof. Prathiba Mahanamahewa said that the powers that be should promptly initiate action to introduce necessary amendments to the Penal Code to deal with Meegoda-type incidents.

Law academic Mahanamahewa said that the Penal Code, in its existing form, was not sufficient to deal with the increasingly reckless driving. The civil society activist urged the Parliament to consider necessary amendments to the relevant law to impose strict liability in respect of horrendous hit-and-run acts and accidents.

The Vesak Day incidents that claimed the lives of six people and caused injuries to a dozen underscored the failure on the part of successive governments to amend both the Penal Code and the Motor Traffic Act to deal with the developing situation. Having crashed onto people around midnight Sunday, the intoxicated driver drove away knowing the catastrophic results of his reckless action, Mahanamahewa said, adding that the current law was insufficient to deal with the killer driver.

Responding to The Island queries, the lawyer said that in terms of strict liability a person/persons or group are held responsible for damages, injuries, or offences, regardless of their intent, recklessness, or negligence, and are liable, even if they took every possible precaution to prevent.

According to Mahanamahewa the Motor traffic Act could be amended to pave the way for a point system to govern driving license leading to the cancellation in case of unstoppable deterioration of a particular driver.

Mahanamahewa compared the Meegoda incident with the bus-train collision at a level crossing at Yangalmodara, Alawwa, that claimed 40 lives, while causing injuries to nearly 40 other commuters, on 25 April, 2005.

The then Kurunegala High Court Judge Priyantha Fernando sentenced the driver and conductor of the ill-fated bus to death on 05 April 2013.

Since then there had been a spate of major accidents but successive governments failed to act, the lawyer alleged, pointing out that the death sentence given in the Yangalmodara incident gave the government an opportunity to take tangible measures against reckless driving. Reckless drivers must be dealt with harshly to ensure the safety and security of road users, he said, pointing out that tougher laws would protect lives.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

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News

Animal Welfare Draft Bill to be Gazetted

Published

15 hours ago

2026/06/24

Priyan

A specialists committee has been appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation adhering to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 29.12.2025 for submitting appropriate recommendations analyzing the provisions of the draft bill formulation in regard to Animal Welfare.

Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, the Legal Draftsman has been instructed at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 18.05.2026 to prepare the final bill on the animal welfare.

Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the draft bill and the clearance of the Attorney General has been received in the connection.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to publish the said draft bill in the
Government Gazette Notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.

News

Legal provisions on marking voters using indelible ink during elections removed

Published

15 hours ago

2026/06/24

Priyan

Under the legal provisions for elections in this country since 2004, it is mandatory for voters who come to mark their votes to verify their identity through a valid identity card, and it is also mandatory for all such voters to be marked with an appropriate mark using indelible ink. The dual purpose of these two functions is to prevent a voter from voting more than once in a single election.

It has been observed that having to follow two different
methods at the same time to achieve the same objective hinders the efficiency of the duties performed at the polling stations and also incurs additional costs to the government.

Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate to remove the legal provisions regarding the use of indelible ink and marking the voter with the appropriate mark from all election acts.

Accordingly, the development activities of the province, as well as national security, will benefit. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the
President to take necessary steps to remove the legal provisions

• Section 36 of the presidential Election Act, No 15 of 1981
• Section 38 of the Parliamentary Election Act, No 01 of 1981
• Section 36 of the Provincial Council Election Act, No 02 of 1988
• Section 53 A of the Local Government Elections Ordinance (262 Authority)
• Section 21 of the Referendum Act No 7 of 1981

News

Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts

Published

16 hours ago

2026/06/24

Priyan

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 24 JUNE 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 24 June 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m.

Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expectedat times over the Western slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.