Bar Association Chief Warns PSTA Bill Strays Far From Parliamentary Committee Consensus

The Protection of the State from Terrorism (PSTA) Bill, which has been placed before Parliament, contains significant departures from the recommendations that were agreed upon by the parliamentary committee tasked with reviewing the legislation, according to Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) President Saliya Pieris.

Key Concerns Raised Over Legislative Deviations

Pieris has flagged what he describes as major deviations between the version of the bill now before Parliament and the conclusions reached during the committee deliberation process. The BASL president's remarks have drawn fresh attention to the contentious legislation, which has been the subject of considerable debate among legal professionals, civil society groups, and human rights advocates.

The PSTA Bill is intended to replace the much-criticised Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), a decades-old law that has long faced calls for repeal or reform due to concerns over its misuse and the broad powers it grants to security authorities. However, critics argue that the new legislation, in its current form, falls short of the meaningful reform that was promised.

A Process Under Scrutiny

The parliamentary committee review process was widely regarded as an opportunity to incorporate safeguards and address long-standing grievances surrounding anti-terrorism legislation in Sri Lanka. Legal experts and civil society representatives participated in that process in good faith, with the expectation that their input would be meaningfully reflected in the final draft placed before Parliament.

The revelation that the tabled bill diverges substantially from what was agreed upon in committee raises serious questions about transparency and accountability in the legislative drafting process.

The bill as presented to Parliament contains major deviations from what was agreed upon by the committee — Saliya Pieris, President, Bar Association of Sri Lanka

Broader Implications for Civil Liberties

The PSTA Bill has attracted scrutiny not only from the legal fraternity but also from international human rights bodies, who have urged Sri Lanka to ensure that any replacement for the PTA genuinely upholds due process, limits detention without charge, and prevents the potential for abuse by state authorities.

Sri Lanka has faced sustained international pressure to repeal the PTA, particularly in the context of its efforts to retain the European Union's GSP+ trade concessions, which are linked to adherence to human rights conventions.

The BASL's intervention signals that the legal community intends to maintain close scrutiny of the bill as it proceeds through Parliament, and observers expect further debate in the coming weeks over whether the legislation meets the standards of a democratic and rights-respecting legal framework.