Seventeen petitions filed against Online Safety Bill

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda   

Seventeen (17) Special Determination petitions have been filed so far before Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the Online Safety Bill. These petitions are to be taken up for hearing on October 18.   

The petitioners are;  

The President of Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Kaushalya Nawaratne, journalist Tharindu Uduwaragedera, Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara, National People’s Power Parliamentarian Harini Amarasuriya, National Organizer of the Socialist Youth Union Eranga Gunasekara, the Media Law Forum, Front Line Socialist Party activist Duminda Nagamuwa, former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Ambika Satkunanathan, Chaminda Dias, M.K. de Silva, W.C.J. Peiris, Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathne, Ranga Kalansuriya, Vidyananda Jayaweera, B.J.S. Fernando and M.R.M. Najah.  

The petitioners are seeking a declaration that the bill requires the approval by the people at a Referendum in addition to the 2/3 approval of Parliament.