Sri Lanka · Legislation
Legislation and primary sources
Where to find the authoritative text of the law in Sri Lanka, and how to confirm it is still in force.
Sources of law, ranked
- The Constitution of 1978
- Supreme, but statutes cannot be challenged after enactment.
- Acts of Parliament
- The principal source of modern law.
- Roman-Dutch law
- Residual common law for property, obligations and delict.
- English law
- Applies to commercial subjects by statutory reception.
- Kandyan, Thesawalamai and Muslim law
- Personal laws applying by community and region.
The legislative process
Bills are published in the Gazette at least seven days before first reading, which is the trigger for the one-week window to petition the Supreme Court. A bill inconsistent with the Constitution needs a two-thirds majority, and in some cases a referendum. After enactment the Speaker's certificate is conclusive and the Act is immune from challenge.
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