February 06, Colombo (LNW): Yesterday, the Speaker’s office announced that the Parliament successfully passed the Online Safety Bill, aligning with the Supreme Court’s determination, a confirmation echoed by the Attorney General’s Department.
Addressing concerns about a potential violation of the Supreme Court ruling in passing the Online Safety Bill, the Speaker’s office released a statement. It emphasized that the legislative process of the Parliament is a collaborative effort involving the Attorney General’s Department and the Legal Draftsman’s Department. Consequently, it asserted that there is no room for any action that contradicts a Supreme Court determination or violates the Constitution during the passage of a Bill.
The statement clarified, “The Speaker is obligated by Articles 79 and 80 of the Constitution to endorse the Certificate on a Bill once it has been duly passed.” In line with this obligation, the Speaker endorsed the Certificate on the Online Safety Bill on February 2, 2024, officially designating it as the Online Safety Act, No. 9 of 2024.
