Thursday Jan 08, 2026
Thursday Jan 08, 2026
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Supreme Court Judge Arjuna Obeyesekere yesterday urged the legal profession against turning uncertainty around data protection into a wave of opportunistic litigation, warning that such an approach could weaken trust in Sri Lanka’s emerging digital framework.
Addressing lawyers at the 2nd National Data Protection Symposium, he said that while breaches, disputes, and ambiguity are inevitable in a transitioning digital economy, flooding the courts with minor cases would slow adoption rather than strengthen confidence.
“This is not the time to monetise confusion,” Obeysekere said, urging lawyers to play a constructive role in helping organisations and citizens navigate new obligations and rights under the data protection regime.
He called on the profession to prioritise guidance over confrontation, noting that legal certainty must precede legal competition if trust is to take root. Lawyers, he said, should assist organisations to interpret and implement the law responsibly, while enabling citizens to understand and exercise their rights effectively.
Trust in digital systems, Obeysekere added, depends not only on enforcement but on how uncertainty is managed in practice. If handled well, it can build confidence and accelerate adoption. If not, it risks undermining the very digital economy Sri Lanka is seeking to develop.
