September 22, Colombo (LNW): The Supreme Court has ruled that several provisions of the proposed Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill raise constitutional concerns and therefore cannot be enacted through an ordinary parliamentary majority, the Speaker told Parliament on Tuesday.
Presenting the court’s determination at the start of the day’s sitting, the Speaker said the affected provisions would require approval by a special majority of Parliament before they could become law.
The court also singled out Clause 17, saying that the provision, in its current form, would face an additional constitutional requirement. In addition to securing the necessary special majority in Parliament, the clause would have to be endorsed by the public at a referendum.
The determination was formally placed before Parliament at the commencement of the sitting on September 22, setting out the constitutional steps lawmakers would need to follow if the disputed provisions are to proceed.