Supreme Court Upholds Bill to Decriminalize Same-Sex Relations, Rejects Challenge as 'Fanciful' and 'Without Merit'"

In a significant decision, the Supreme Court of the country has ruled that the submissions made by petitioners Shenali Waduge, Jehan Hameed, and Brig (retd) Athula Silva challenging the bill to decriminalize same-sex relations are "fanciful" and "have no merit". The case was brought to the Supreme Court after the petitioners challenged the bill, which sought to repeal 365A and repeal and replace 365 of Penal Code.

The Supreme Court, in its ruling, stated that the petitioners failed to establish that the repeal in the proposed manner is unconstitutional or that any part of the bill is inconsistent with any provision of the Constitution. The court further ruled that the bill as a whole or any provision of it is not inconsistent with the Constitution.

The case was being closely watched by LGBT activists, who have been fighting for the decriminalization of same-sex relations in the country. The petitioners argued that the proposed changes to the Penal Code would be detrimental to society and would violate the rights of individuals who believe in traditional family values.

The Supreme Court's decision is being hailed as a major victory for the LGBT community in the country. LGBT activists have been fighting for years to have same-sex relations decriminalized, arguing that the existing laws are discriminatory and violate basic human rights.