Parliament today enacted a new law that provides for detention for 48 hours of a person arrested without a warrant prior to producing him or her before a magistrate. Earlier, such a person could only be detained for 24 hours. 
 

Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said during the debate on the Bill titled ‘Code of Criminal Procedure (Special Provisions) Bill’, that such detention would be warranted only in case of 15 offences outlined in the Penal Code. Murder, culpable homicide, kidnapping or abduction to murder or with intent to confine a person, rape, theft and offences committed with the use of explosives, an offensive weapon  or a gun are some of them.(KB & YP)