The Ministry of Justice and National Integration has announced the appointment of a committee to examine the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

The committee will be chaired by President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsecularatne and is set to begin public consultations in May. In addition to gathering public views, the committee has been tasked with obtaining input from civil society organisations and feedback from international institutions and communities.

A preliminary discussion on repealing the PTA was held on 11 April at the Ministry premises, chaired by Minister of Justice and National Integration, Attorney-at-law Harsha Nanayakkara.

The Minister reiterated that repealing the PTA is a stated policy of the current government. He emphasised that any new legislation must be capable of addressing modern terrorism threats without violating constitutionally protected human rights and internationally recognised freedoms, including the freedom of expression.

The Ministry noted that previous administrations had failed to act diligently in reforming the PTA and that the newly appointed committee has been instructed to identify key areas for repeal within a short timeframe