Amendments to the Penal Code Can Be Submitted at the Committee Stage; Minister Harshana

05-Oct-2025

.

Although the parliamentary debate on the second reading of the Penal Code amendment bill — Chapter 19, concerning the corporal punishment of children — was held in Parliament, the bill was not approved into law by Parliament. 

Therefore, those who wish to submit amendments on this matter will be able to do so at the parliamentary committee stage, Justice and National Unity Minister Harshan Nanayakkara said.

In a media statement he issued on this subject, he further said that the debate on the second reading of the Penal Code amendment bill took place in Parliament on the 24th of last month. 

However, beyond holding the debate on the second reading, the bill was deferred without being enacted into law.

He explained that the bill was not approved because, if the proposed amendments to the bill were to take effect, corresponding changes would have to be made in the criminal procedure law as well — and those consequential amendments were not in place.

Since the bill has not yet been enacted into law, there is an opportunity to submit amendments to it at the parliamentary committee stage, he added. He emphasised that he wished to point out that the law to amend the Penal Code in relation to physically punishing children has not yet been made into law.