The Right to Life Human Rights Centre expresses its deepest condolences on the passing of the late Mr Basil Fernando, a leading human rights defender and lawyer in Asia. We gratefully acknowledge that Mr Basil Fernando was a leader who made an immense contribution towards the establishment and strengthening of the Right to Life Human […]
Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis in 2022 was not just a macroeconomic failure; it was a profound human tragedy that rapidly pushed the national poverty rate to 25%. For decades, the legacy Samurdhi system had served as a fragile safety net, delivering cash transfers to roughly 1.7 million beneficiaries out of a targeted two million.
On July 30, 2026, the Right to Life Human Rights Centre convened a high-level consultation with Human Rights First Aid Centre (HRFAC) coordinators to guide the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the management of torture cases. Moderated by Attorney-at-Law Dulan Dassanayake, the session provided a vital platform for first responders across Sri Lanka
The Right to Life Human Rights Centre successfully held a stakeholder consultation on a Digital Triage System for Human Rights First Aid today at the Best Western Elyon Colombo. The strategic event convened 30 key stakeholders, encompassing government representatives, civil society members, legal professionals, and frontline human rights defenders (HRDs), including the Coordinators of the
The government’s proposed NGO law is a heavy-handed piece of legislation. The government’s justification is that regulating NGOs is necessary to comply with the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) which is an inter-governmental body that among other things aims to address issues of terrorist financing and money laundering. Furtherm that there is
A Better NGO Law Is Still Possible Read More »
The release of a draft of the Non-Governmental Organisations (Registration and Supervision) Act, L.D.-O. 6/2026, is praiseworthy. This will allow all who care about democratic values to study the text and assess its implications. The implications are serious. If the draft is made law as is and its provisions are fully implemented, the democratic society
NGO Bill: Slouching toward totalitarianism? – Prof. Rohan Samarajiva Read More »
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has expressed deep concern over the violent incidents that occurred at Negombo Prison on July 5 and 6, describing the tragedy as a serious threat to the rule of law and a reflection of long-standing structural problems within Sri Lanka’s prison system. In a statement issued on July
Addressing Parliament today, the Minister of Justice and National Integration, Mr. Harshana Nanayakkara, stated that one of the factors contributing to the severe overcrowding in prisons is the amendment introduced in 2022 to the Poisons, Opium, and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, along with delays in the Government Analyst’s reports. “Before that amendment, if the net weight
Minister of Justice explains steps taken to reduce prison overcrowding Read More »
Although eradicating drugs from a country is an essential matter, destroying the lives of innocent citizens by imprisoning them on fabricated charges in the name of drug suppression can in no way be condoned. One of the most serious tragedies we see today is the misuse of the law by certain corrupt police officers to
The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment fell on 26 June. Following a resolution presented to the United Nations General Assembly on 12 December 1997, 26 June has been observed as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture since 1998. Since 2004,
Media Statement COLOMBO, SRI LANKA — June 2026 — The Right to Life Human Rights Centre has formally submitted a comprehensive briefing to the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT). The submission exposes entrenched patterns of police torture, the strategic weaponization of restrictive detention laws, and systemic failures within Sri Lanka’s judicial architecture.
The ‘International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict’, declared by the United Nations, is observed worldwide on 19 June every year. The primary objectives of this day are to condemn the use of sexual violence as a tactic of war or a weapon during periods of armed conflict, to deliver justice to
19 June: International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict Read More »
