Govt. to cut detention period to 48 hours, withdraw key clauses in Organised Crimes Bill

Tuesday, 10 November 2026 00:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government has agreed to reduce the maximum detention period under the proposed Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill from 72 to 48 hours and withdraw several contentious provisions, following constitutional challenges before the Supreme Court.

The Attorney General’s office informed the Court yesterday (9) that the proposed amendments would also remove provisions relating to tattoos and body marks, offences under the Excise Ordinance and prior court approval for publishing information on cases involving serious crimes.

The Government also intends to amend copyright-related provisions under the Intellectual Property Act and is considering further changes to clauses governing detention orders and the Bail Act following discussions with policymakers.

The amendments are expected to be presented during the Committee Stage of the Bill in Parliament. A document outlining the proposed changes was submitted to the Supreme Court and lawyers representing the petitioners.

The submissions were made as a three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justices Achala Wengappuli and Sampath Abeykoon resumed hearing 26 petitions challenging the constitutionality of the proposed legislation.

The petitions, filed by several parties, including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, contend that certain provisions of the Bill, published in the Gazette on 6 October, are inconsistent with the Constitution.

The latest amendments follow President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s announcement that the Government would not proceed with the Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill or the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill without broader consultations with the public and relevant stakeholders.

Addressing the National Trade Union Conference on Saturday (7), the President said the Government would engage civil society organisations and other concerned parties to build consensus before proceeding with the legislation.