News
Attorney General under fire for failure to study Online Safety Bill properly
The Attorney General’s Department had not studied the Online Safety Bill properly when it was first gazetted, President’s Counsel Dr Jayampathy Wickramaratne has said.
The government first gazetted the Bill on 15 September 2023.
“Then, we went to the Supreme Court against it and at the court the Attorney General’s Department officials said they would present over 30 amendments to the Bill. The Constitution says that when a Bill is presented, the Attorney General must attest that it is not against the Constitution. So, it appears that the Attorney General has not properly studied the Bill.”
Dr. Wickramaratne added that sources within the government told him that the Bill had been drafted by the Ministry of Media but presented by the Ministry of Justice. He mentioned that on many occasions, the government had agreed before the Supreme Court to amend Bills that were approved by the Cabinet.
“We are given these amendments by the court itself. The whole purpose of gazetting these Bills is for the people to read and understand. These amendments at the court undermines the whole point of gazetting a Bill.”
“The parliamentary debate about the Online Safety Bill was limited to two days, and it is obvious that the government wants to pass the Bill immediately,” he added.
“This will have a devastating impact on the freedom of expression of the people. This is the consensus of most. Even liking a Facebook post is expressing an opinion. Given how broad the definitions of this Act are, people can be hounded for even liking a post that the government doesn’t like.”
Wickramaratne said that most of the public discourse now takes place on the Internet. People used social media and WhatsApp groups to share ideas and disseminate information.
“Two elections are coming up soon, and a lot of debates and campaigns will take place online. We fear that the acts are election-targeted. Other countries take years before such bills are passed.”
The government also wants to suppress people’s objections to its economic policies, he said.
Dr. Wickramaratne mentioned that the judiciary does not have the power to review Bills that are passed. In the first Constitution of independent Sri Lanka, people could challenge Bills once it became obvious that these Bills had scary implications.
“If we could go to court against the Online Safety Bill once it’s passed, the situation wouldn’t be as grave. As it is, even if the Supreme Court understands the gravity of the Bill, there is nothing the judiciary can do about it because we can’t go before the court.”
Wickramaratne said the Anti-Terrorism Bill, too ,will be debated soon. There is a lot of criticism towards this act, too. These are Bills that should be debated in depth, and it’s better if they are passed with the consensus of the opposition.
“The Anti-Terrorism Bill was first presented in March 2023, and there was a lot of opposition. The government withdrew the Bill but presented a new draft in September 2023. There was a lot of opposition to that, too. The government then promised to address the concerns raised by local and international parties. We expected the government to issue a gazette with a new draft. But nothing of that nature took place. The Minister of Justice presented to Parliament the same Bill he presented in September 2023. The Minister said he has come up with a new definition for terrorism, but that’s not in the Bill he presented a few weeks ago.”
Dr Wickramaratne said when the Anti-Terrorism Bill was challenged in the Supreme Court, the Attorney General might present amendments at that stage. “No one has any clue as to what amendments the government will bring,” he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
