(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a 13-member Presidential Task Force to study the implementation of the concept “One Country, One Law” and to prepare a draft Act.
An Extraordinary Gazette Notification has been issued establishing the Presidential Task Force of 13 members for one country and one law. The task force will be chaired by Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero.
Mrs. Jeewanthi Senanayake, Senior Assistant Secretary to the President has been appointed as its Secretary.
The other members of the Task Force are: Professor Dayananda Banda, Professor Shanthinandana Wijesinghe, Professor Sumedha Siriwardana, 5. N.G. Sujeewa Panditharathna, 6. Attorney-at-Law Iresh Senevirathne, Attorney-at-Law Sanjaya Marambe, Eranda Navarathna, Pani Wewala, Moulavi Mohomad Ulama Council, Galle, Mohomad Inthikab, Lecturer, Kaleel Rahuman, and Azeez Nizardeen.
The gazette states that focusing on the fact that administration of justice, its implementation and protection under the law should be fair by all as set out in the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and also that it is indicated under fundamental rights therein that no citizen should be discriminated against in the eye of law on meted out special treatment on ground of nationality, religion, caste or any other grounds.
Furthermore, the implementation of the concept; one country, one law within Sri Lanka is reflected as a methodology of ensuring nationally and internationally recognized humanitarian values,
Accordingly, the Task Force is entrusted with the following tasks
1. To make a study of the implementation of the concept; One Country, One Law within Sri Lanka and prepare a draft Act for the said purpose, and
2. To study the draft Acts and amendments that have already been prepared by the Ministry of Justice in relation to this subject and their appropriateness and if there are suitable amendments to submit proposal for the purpose and include them in such relevant draft as is deemed appropriate.
The Task Force should submit a report to the President once a month and the final report should be submitted on or before February 28 next year, the relevant gazette notification said.