Rights
A 1978 constitution whose executive presidency has been repeatedly re-cut
Sri Lanka's Second Republican Constitution of 1978 created a strong executive presidency, and most constitutional politics since has consisted of amendments enlarging or shrinking it. The 19th Amendment (2015) cut presidential power and restored independent commissions; the 20th (2020) reversed much of that; the 21st (2022) restored parts again after mass protests. Anyone citing the Sri Lankan constitution must say which amendment layer they mean.
Governing law
- Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, 1978 — As amended through the 21st Amendment (2022).
- Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, 2015 — Independent commissions and the Constitutional Council.
In practice
The President is directly elected and is head of state, head of government and commander-in-chief. Chapter III guarantees fundamental rights, enforceable only by the Supreme Court and only within one month of the infringement. Buddhism has 'the foremost place' under Article 9, while Article 10 guarantees freedom of conscience. Constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority, and a referendum for entrenched articles. The one-month window for fundamental rights applications is short and strictly applied — it is the single most common reason a rights case fails. There is no post-enactment judicial review of legislation. Constitutionality must be challenged within one week of a Bill being placed on the Order Paper.